By Joseph E. Seagle, Esq.

👋 Happy Friday! Tomorrow, being the first Saturday in May, is the 🏇🏾 Kentucky Derby. Get ready for those crazy 👒 hats.

❗️Situation Awareness: Our offices will be closed on Memorial Day.

1 big thing: 🏠 Homebuilders Face Tariff Whiplash — and So Do You

📍 The big picture: A volatile U.S. tariff environment is hiking up construction material costs just as the spring housing season sputters, adding new friction to a market already struggling with high mortgage rates and buyer hesitation.

🧱 What’s happening:

• A 10% blanket tariff and 145% tariffs on Chinese imports are causing supplier price hikes—averaging 6.3%—for essential building materials like lumber and steel.

• Homebuilders estimate these tariffs could increase the average price of a new home by $10,900.

• Residential housing starts fell 11.4% in March, while permits dropped 3.1% year-over-year as builders brace for economic uncertainty.

🏗️ Why it matters to you:

• Realtors: Expect continued affordability challenges. Entry-level buyers are being priced out, making it tougher to move inventory unless significant incentives are offered.

• Mortgage Brokers: Loan volume may dip as buyers get cold feet, delaying mortgage applications or downsizing their purchase ambitions.

• Title Agents: Slower construction means fewer transactions down the line. Prepare for a shift toward resale markets and refinances.

💡 Zoom in:

• Builders like D.R. Horton are delaying cost pass-throughs until 2026. But smaller builders, with tighter margins, may need to raise prices now or exit markets altogether.

• Companies like Hapi Homes are pivoting to 100% domestic supply chains, eating a 5% average cost increase to stabilize long-term pricing.

📊 Between the lines:

• Domestic sourcing may offer a hedge, but not a discount. Historically, U.S. suppliers have used tariffs’ market protections to reduce competition as an opportunity to raise prices on domestic goods, too.

• Expect home sizes and customization options to shrink as builders tighten efficiency to cater to cost-conscious buyers.

🔮 What’s next: Watch for builder M&A activity as large players acquire land and operations from struggling small- to mid-size firms. Also, keep an eye on supply chain trends—relationships with domestic suppliers are becoming strategic assets.

Go deeper: Orlando Business Journal

2. Florida’s Housing Market at a Crossroads

📉 The Big Picture: Florida’s real estate market, once a beacon of growth, is now showing signs of strain. According to Cotality’s recent report, the state faces challenges like slowing demand, rising insurance costs, and an oversupply of homes, particularly in areas like Winter Haven, Tampa, and West Palm Beach.

📊 By the Numbers

• Winter Haven: Median home prices rose from $234,900 in January 2021 to $314,950 in January 2025. However, it’s now considered at “very high risk” for a price decline .

• Tampa: Home prices increased from $265,000 in 2021 to $360,000 in early 2025. It’s ranked third nationally for potential price declines .

• West Palm Beach: Median prices jumped from $323,000 in 2021 to $485,000 in 2025. It’s fifth on the list of markets at high risk for price drops . 

🏘️ What’s Driving the Shift?

• Insurance Woes: Florida homeowners face the highest insurance premiums in the U.S., averaging $2,625 annually, 24% above the national average .

• Inventory Surge: January 2025 saw a record 172,209 homes for sale in Florida, a 22.7% increase year-over-year, leading to a buyer’s market .

• Migration Patterns: While Florida attracted 1.8 million new residents since 2020, the pace has slowed, with many now relocating to neighboring states like Georgia and North Carolina .

🧭 Implications for Real Estate Professionals

• Realtors: Adjust pricing strategies to reflect the current market dynamics. Emphasize properties with competitive insurance rates and highlight value over luxury.

• Mortgage Brokers: Prepare clients for potential appraisal challenges. Offer guidance on navigating insurance premiums and property taxes.

• Title Insurance Agents: Stay informed about regional risks, especially in high-risk areas, to advise clients accurately and adjust coverage options accordingly.

📌 Bottom Line: Florida’s real estate landscape is evolving. Professionals must stay agile, informed, and proactive to navigate these changes and continue to serve clients effectively.

Go deeper: Cotality (formerly known as CoStar)

3. Catch up fast

1. Naples estate sells for $255 million to Florida land trust … but did they use the trust to conceal the purchase price? Obviously not. Wall Street Journal (subscription)

2. Vacant Miami Beach home lot sells for $23 million. They got our location wrong and said we were the land trust buyer when we were actually the seller, but at least they spelled our name right. South Florida Business Journal (gift link)

3. DOGE aide dismantling CFPB owns stock in companies that could benefit from the cuts. Propublica

4. East Texas Title Company files suit against FinCEN in an effort to block implementation of the rule requiring disclosure of trust and entity beneficiaries, starting December 1. KETK News

5. Zillow predicts home prices will slide by almost 2% over the next year. Zillow

6. U.S. Consumer Confidence fell in April to its lowest level since the pandemic. AP and The Conference Board

7. U.S. Consumer spending surged in March as inflation continued to cool. Reuters

8. U.S. Economy shrinks for the first time in three years. Newsweek

9. U.S. Manufacturing activity has shrunk the most since November. Bloomberg (gift link)

10. The inventory of homes for sale rose 30.6% year over year in April, as 18% of homes saw a price reduction. It’s a buyer’s market for the first time in a long time. Realtor

4. Closing Thought:

In real estate and business, mindset isn’t part of the game — it IS the game.

If you want to dominate, not just survive, you need to know the difference between consumers and producers, and why an abundance mindset crushes scarcity thinking every single time.

Consumers vs Producers:

Consumers wait for the perfect opportunity. They chase shiny objects. They hope someone else makes it easy.

Producers?

🔥 They build opportunities.

🔥 They create deals.

🔥 They solve problems.

Producers know that opportunity isn’t found — it’s made.

Scarcity vs Abundance:

• Scarcity says: “There’s not enough for me.”

• Abundance says: “There’s more than enough if I create value.”

• Scarcity hoards and hesitates.

• Abundance collaborates, takes action, and wins.

Bottom Line:

Producers with an abundance mindset don’t just close more deals — they create whole new markets.

If you want bigger wins, bigger impact, and bigger income, it starts with thinking bigger.

⚡ Be the producer.

⚡ Live in abundance.

⚡ Make it happen.

You’ve got this — and we’re rooting for you.

We hope you found this helpful — any feedback is appreciated and can be shared by hitting reply or using the feedback feature below.

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