The Orlando Vacation Home Real Estate Trends of 2011- What To Expect in 2012

So 2012 is finally here to greet us all with some cold weather but that’s okay because the sun is still shining here in Orlando. If you’re like me, you’ve probably mapped out quite a few goals for the 2012 year that you’d like to try and accomplish if the world doesn’t end this December <joking>. . . I’m sure for many of you, owning a vacation home is probably somewhere on that list. Lets take a look at some of the 2011 trends we noticed and help use them to guide our investment plans for 2012.

Trend #1: Lots of Cash Flowing into Florida
In 2011 we noticed many foreign investors starting to move their money into US bank accounts and many domestic investors liquidating their non-performing assets and gearing up to move their money into Florida real estate. According to Jani Lowdell at Centerstate Bank in Davenport, of those foreign nationals who opened a US bank account last year, all purchased a vacation home within 90 days. Those who did jump into the market in 2011 got amazing deals but many held out in hopes the prices would drop in 2012. There have been so many rumors flying around that banks were going to release a ton of inventory and flood the market this year with homes causing prices to drop again.

What To Expect in 2012
I’m not an economist however, based on my hyper local knowledge of THIS real estate niche in Orlando (vacation rentals) I’m about 98% sure that prices are not going to drop at all in 2012, unless there is some terrible natural disaster which nobody can predict, except of course the Mayans (I couldn’t resist that one). Despite rumors, most professionals do not believe the banks are going to allow another real estate collapse by flooding the market with all of their inventory at once. We might see maybe a 5% increase in inventory this year but that’s not enough to cause prices to drop. Especially when the demand for vacation homes has never been higher.

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Trend #2: Tourists Staying in Vacation Homes vs. Hotels Has Increased
The amount of people traveling to Orlando this year was up about 20% according to Stephen Walker, owner of Signature Villas Orlando. A vacation rental management company in Kissimmee. He said they had their best year yet and they were so busy they needed to find more homes to accommodate all of the people wanting to book their homes. The really sweet part about that- they had more direct retail bookings this year than any other year.

What to Expect in 2012
Expect the tourism industry to continue to boom, mostly driven by countries like Brazil who are currently experience a booming economy and seem to have taken a specific liking to the Orlando area. Also expect to see more families that would normally be staying in a hotel start staying in a vacation home due to the growing awareness. We haven’t been able to nail down any specific reason for the rise in vacation home awareness in 2011 however due to the viral power of Facebook and the internet we only expect it to double in 2012. If you haven’t yet jumped in on vacation rental investment, 2012 might be your year to supply the growing demand.

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Trend #3: Tenanted and Turkey Properties Were a Hot Number This Year
Tenanted properties were always a hot seller for long term rental investors because they offer immediate income and very little, if any, hassle. The same for booked short term rentals. Many investors were willing to pay a premium this year to not have to deal with all of this hassle versus having to start from scratch, renovate, secure a tenant and place into management. At the end of the day, when you add up what your saving on a vacant property you usually end up the same as if you would have paid a bit extra for tenanted because of the vacancy time and renovation costs.

What to Expect In 2012
Expect an increase of tenanted properties hitting the market. Even the banks are starting to recognize the value in selling a tenanted property that they are letting tenants stay in the homes in hopes to attract an investor looking for immediate rental income. Also watch as the rental demand increases tremendously on long term rental properties causing rents to rise and making landlords very happy they own a rental property. You’ll notice more turnkey properties popping on the market in the vacation rental world also. They offer so much value to the investor who doesn’t have the time or want to deal with all the hassle of getting it up and running themselves.

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We hope to earn the opportunity of helping you achieve your investment property goals this year in 2012. For a free, no obligation investment property consultation with our Director of Sales- Lisa Arcia,  please contact us directly at 866-422-6191 and if you have enjoyed this article please consider subscribing to our blog and stay updated on future information.