09/25/2026
🏠 🌴 Southwest Florida real estate in 2026: where we stand 🌴🏠
1️⃣Southwest Florida’s housing market (Lee, Collier, Charlotte, and nearby areas including Naples, Fort Myers, Cape Coral, etc.) has continued to recalibrate. Sales activity strengthened, inventory tightened, and prices held relatively steady with local variation. At the same time, foreclosure activity rose and became elevated compared with the national average—though absolute rates remain far below the 2010 crisis peak.
2️⃣Closed sales rose solidly year-over-year — On a 12-month rolling basis ending August 2026, closed sales increased about 15.9% to roughly 24,966. Pending sales also rose in multiple monthly reports.
Inventory tightened meaningfully — Active listings fell roughly 19–23% year-over-year. New listings also declined. Excess supply from earlier periods is being absorbed.
Months of supply moved into balanced territory — Regional months of supply compressed to about 5.2–6.1 months (down 30%+ year-over-year from levels near 8–9+).
Demand persists amid affordability headwinds — Single-family sales in coastal counties rose (examples around +13% in mid-year economic data). The market remains selective: well-priced homes continue to sell, while elevated mortgage rates, insurance costs, and HOA fees remain challenges.
3️⃣Homes in Default / Foreclosure Activity
Southwest Florida has seen elevated foreclosure pressure relative to the rest of the country in 2026, driven in part by lingering insurance and affordability strains (especially post-hurricane effects in Lee and Charlotte counties). Absolute levels are still low by historical standards.
Foreclosure filings (H1 2026): Florida overall recorded filings on about 0.27% of housing units (1 in every 373) — the highest rate of any state and up roughly 33% from the same period in 2025.
SWFL metros were among the highest nationally:
Charlotte County (Punta Gorda metro): ~0.50% of housing units (1 in 200) — highest metro rate in the U.S.
Lee County (Cape Coral–Fort Myers metro): ~0.35% (1 in 286) — ranked sixth nationally.
Collier County was lower at about 3.9 filings per 1,000 units.
County-level filings per 1,000 housing units (H1 data): Lee ~8.4, Charlotte ~8.0, Collier ~3.9.
Serious delinquency (90+ days past due): Florida rates were reported around 1.1% in late-2025 data (with upward movement noted). Broader Q1 2026 mortgage-distress figures for the state showed total non-current loans higher (including early-stage delinquencies), with the 90-day component near 1.6% and foreclosure inventory around 0.9% in one report. National serious delinquency/foreclosure trends were also rising in most large markets.
4️⃣These foreclosure and delinquency figures represent a small share of the overall housing stock (well under 1% for filings in the first half of the year). They are elevated versus recent years and the national average, but remain a fraction of the roughly 5.5% peak Florida experienced around 2010. Insurance costs, which have begun showing some early signs of relief in Lee and Charlotte counties, continue to be cited as a contributing factor to homeowner stress.
5️⃣Bottom line: The 2026 SWFL market so far shows healthier sales volume and tightening supply with relatively stable pricing, alongside rising but still modest levels of mortgage distress concentrated in certain counties.
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