Mortgage interest rates have remained steady over the past 30 days. As of this week, the average U.S. interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages is 6.81%, virtually unchanged from 6.83% a month ago. However, predictions for future interest rate movements are still uncertain.
As Florida is the #1 state for new business formation, it naturally follows that the demand for commercial real estate is stronger than most of the rest of the country. The infographic below from Florida Realtors illustrates the incredible positive attributes Florida has around its business environment.
Although Sarasota County transaction data is generally moving in the same way as Manatee, there is one significant difference. In Sarasota, the hotter part of the market is definitely down market. The year-on-year 8.8% reduction in median sale price in March drives that point home. I expect that to balance to more normal levels as we head into our slower season. It remains a good time for opportunistic buyers in Sarasota County. Buyers shouldn’t expect to have all of the leverage in negotiations, but there is definitely value to be had when compared to recent years. The infographic below from Florida Realtors contains more information.
Single-family home inventory is continuing to grow as we wrap up our area’s busy season. New listings continue to outpace both closed sales and new pending sales. Overall transaction volume was significantly lower in March of 2025 than it was in March of 2024. Interestingly, the median sale price held strong last month. The likely driver of that was the mix of home sales skewing upmarket in 2025. While it is not a terrible time to sell, the market favors buyers more than we have seen in quite a while. The infographic from Florida Realtors, below, contains more March highlights.