It’s Not About The Hurricanes
In the last week we’ve had an earthquake in Hawaii and a snowstorm in upstate New York. I’m sure at least a few residents of those states are today looking at places to retire to in Florida.
There has been speculation that the hurricanes of the past two seasons has been part of the cause of the downturn in the real estate market locally, but I don’t think that’s the case. They certainly gave some people enough concern (and extra expense and trouble) to reconsider living in Florida. But every day there’s something, somewhere, to give one concern about living in a particular place. If there really is a paradise somewhere, its current residents ought to keep quiet about it.
But I’ve heard from folks in the northeast who report that showings of property are slow there too. And with winter coming, it’s not going to get much better. Here in Palm Beach County we can look forward to the imminent arrival of the seasonal snowbirds, some of whom may be shopping this year for a year-round abode. I think some are already here, if the traffic is any indication.
At least our natural disasters give some warning. I’d rather spend a few days getting ready for a storm that doesn’t come, than being shaken out of bed at 3 am. As we see from the news, occasionally everyone has to deal with closed schools, power outages, and chaos. And it is always temporary, at least in the United States.