Just like birds migrating south for the winter, human residents of cold northern climates desire to escape for a life of warm weather and tropical paradise....

Going back over 100 years, Florida has enjoyed the yearly 'snowbird' flock including famous birds like Henry Ford and Thomas Edison - both of which maintained winter homes in Southwest Florida. 

With 2020 in the history books and more people able to work remotely, Southwest Florida has welcomed a new bird into the nest. The Sunbird.

You’ll recognize a Sunbird because they are here from late October-June, escaping the most intense Florida weather for cooler climates up North, not necessarily in their home state. 

The Sunbird desires freedom, more elbow room, and they come to Southwest Florida with an attitude of “if not now, when”. They are opting for more space, lifestyle, and higher price points.

When they head North for the summer, many sunbirds are opting for smaller, easy to maintain condos in The Carolinas, West Virginia, and Tennessee.   

For the Sunbird watcher, it only makes sense to maintain relationships with professional Realtors where these birds flock, so you can put them in touch with a pro in the area they are looking to escape to. 

The Sunbird is great for our economy and we love to see a long migration period here in Southwest Florida. At the same time, with Sunbirds being here for the entire school year, we need to constantly balance new infrastructure to meet the growing demands of our population. This means new schools, hospitals, road projects, and new business development.

Keep in mind Sunbirds are not on the decline, their numbers are rising as people start to retire. 
Be on the lookout for these new Birds and please be sure to welcome them with open arms!

Written by Suzanne McGuire, Broker of RealtyQuest Inc.