Mark H. Bickel | Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News

Here’s some good news for people looking to purchase a home in SW Florida, at least according to one analysis.

As the summer homebuying season kicks off and National Homeownership Month approaches, new data from Bankrate shows that Florida is home to six of the nation’s 10 best markets for buyers, according to Bankrate’s Buyer Opportunity Index.

Among them, the Cape Coral-Fort Myers market ranks No. 2 nationwide, supported in part by strong job and population growth in recent years, along with a faster pace of new residential construction than many other parts of the country.

What they are saying: Florida is a ‘buyers’ market
“In some parts of the country, including Florida, the pandemic housing boom is clearly over,” says Jeff Ostrowski, Housing Market Writer and Analyst at Bankrate. “This is frustrating for sellers, but it represents an opportunity for buyers who have been waiting for market conditions to turn in their favor.”

Bankrate’s Buyer Opportunity Index compared market conditions in February 2026 against February 2022 by analyzing four key metrics:

• housing inventory
• price cuts
• median days to a pending sale
• the sale-price-to-list-price ratio, to identify which markets buyers and sellers have the upper hand

Buyers markets in Florida ranking in Top-10 in U.S.

Florida markets ranking in the top 10:

• No. 2: Cape Coral-Fort Myers

See the full list on naplesnews.com.

Are you looking for a home in beautiful Southwest Florida? Contact David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.

Home Sales in March Highlight Market Strength

Naples, Fla. (April 24, 2026) – Brisk pending and closed sales activity in the Naples housing market during March (+15 percent and +26.7 percent, respectively) signal improved market conditions and confidence. Sellers who priced properties competitively for today’s market or were open to negotiation – especially in the condominium market – enjoyed swift sales in March. Broker analysts reviewing the March 2026 Market Report by the Naples Area Board of REALTORS® (NABOR®), which tracks home listings and sales within Collier County (excluding Marco Island), are confident price corrections that began last summer helped to accelerate the market’s momentum during Q1 2026 and anticipate strong home sales into Q2.

Values Hold Steady

Overall pending sales increased 15 percent to 1,394 pending sales from 1,212 pending sales in March 2025. Overall closed sales increased 26.7 percent to 1,054 closed sales from 832 closed sales in March 2025. Both pending and closed sales activity during March outperformed activity in any March since 2016, with the exception of 2021 and 2022.

Overall median closed price decreased 11.5 percent to $575,000 from $649,950 in March 2025. The median closed price in the single-family home market increased 2.4 percent to $771,950 from $754,000 in March 2025. Conversely, the median closed price in the condominium market decreased 11.5 percent to $430,000 from $486,000 in March 2025.

“The condominium market was struggling to find its footing after the onset of the mandatory inspections and reserve studies. But sales are improving in the condominium market as evidenced in the March Market Report. So those concerns appear to have been addressed and fixed,” added Cindy Carroll of Carroll & Carroll Appraisers and Consultants.

Entry Level Returns

Several brokers reviewing the March Housing Market Report remarked that the current mix of inventory provides ample choices across all price categories. The report also showed single-family homes in the $500,000 – $1.5 million price category command the highest inventory level compared to all other price categories reported.

“New listings are down slightly [14.1 percent/ytd], and this has put a governor on our inventory. That may be because some potential sellers are staying in their homes longer, especially since many locked in low interest rates before the rate rise began in 2022,” said Hughes.

The NABOR® March 2026 Market Report provides comparisons of single-family home and condominium sales (via the Southwest Florida MLS), price ranges, and geographic segmentation and includes an overall market summary. NABOR® sales statistics are presented in chart format, including these overall (single-family and condominium) findings for 2026:

Are you seeking a home in the Bonita Springs – Naples, Florida area? Contact David at David@DavidFlorida.com or 239-285-1086.