The Florida Market

Florida is the most liquid RV park market in the country

No other state comes close to Florida for the volume and velocity of RV park transactions. Institutional buyers — private equity firms, REITs, family offices — entered Florida aggressively starting in 2019 and have not slowed down. The combination of no state income tax, year-round mild weather, strong snowbird migration, and a massive retiree population creates demand fundamentals that simply don't exist in the same concentration anywhere else.

For sellers, that institutional activity is a double-edged reality. On one side, it means a larger and more sophisticated buyer pool than any other state. On the other, it means buyers in Florida are experienced, well-capitalized, and will underwrite your park carefully before they close. Sellers who understand their park's numbers come to the table with a significant advantage.

Florida also has no state income tax — matching Texas as one of the most seller-favorable tax environments in the country. A seller in Florida and a seller in New York selling identical parks keep dramatically different amounts of money. Florida sellers keep roughly $125,000 more on a typical $2M transaction compared to a California seller.

Why institutional buyers target Florida specifically

Three things drive institutional interest in Florida more than any other state: scale (Florida has enough parks in concentrated corridors to build meaningful portfolios), demand stability (snowbird migration is one of the most predictable demand drivers in real estate), and exit liquidity (there are enough buyers that institutions can acquire, add value, and sell again within 5 to 7 years). That institutional competition means sellers in Florida — particularly in the I-75 corridor, Gulf Coast, and Central Florida — can expect more offers and more serious buyers than in almost any other state.

Five Florida Markets

Florida's RV park markets vary more than most owners realize

A park in Fort Myers Beach, a park in Kissimmee, a park in Pensacola, and a park in the Florida Keys are four completely different investment cases. Geography, hurricane exposure, demand drivers, and buyer profiles vary dramatically. Here's what buyers are actually paying in each region.

Gulf Coast Southwest

Fort Myers, Naples, Sarasota, Charlotte Harbor

6.5% – 8%Cap rate range
75% – 90%Peak season occ.

The Southwest Gulf Coast is the epicenter of snowbird RV culture in the United States. Fort Myers, Cape Coral, and the Lee County corridor draw the heaviest concentration of Northern and Canadian winter visitors of any Florida region. Parks here generate the bulk of their annual revenue between November and April, with peak occupancy regularly exceeding 90% during January and February. Institutional buyers have been most aggressive in this corridor, and parks with clean financials and modern amenities trade at the tightest cap rates in the state. Hurricane Ian's 2022 impact changed the insurance landscape permanently — coastal parks carry meaningfully higher premiums now than pre-2022.

Central Florida

Kissimmee, Clermont, Ocala, Tampa–Orlando corridor

7.5% – 9.5%Cap rate range
Year-roundDemand pattern

Central Florida benefits from theme park proximity, the I-4 and I-75 travel corridors, and a large year-round RV community that doesn't follow snowbird seasonality. Parks near Kissimmee and Clermont serve both theme park visitors and long-term RV residents — a mixed occupancy model that tends to produce more stable annual revenue than purely seasonal snowbird parks. The Ocala corridor is a long-standing equestrian and outdoor recreation hub with consistent RV demand. The Tampa–Orlando I-4 corridor attracts institutional buyers seeking scale at accessible prices relative to the Southwest coast.

Northwest Florida Panhandle

Pensacola, Destin, Panama City, Tallahassee

8% – 10%Cap rate range
Summer peakDemand pattern

The Panhandle operates on a completely different seasonal calendar from the rest of Florida — summer is peak season, driven by beach tourism from Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, and the broader Southeast. Parks near Destin and Panama City Beach generate extraordinary summer revenue but are quieter from November through February. The Panhandle carries hurricane exposure, and the region absorbed significant damage from Michael in 2018. Parks with strong summer history, documented financials, and good elevation command solid pricing in what remains a less institutionally targeted sub-market than the Gulf Coast or Central Florida.

Atlantic Coast

Daytona, Melbourne, Vero Beach, Jacksonville

8.5% – 10.5%Cap rate range
65% – 78%Typical occupancy

The Atlantic Coast draws a different traveler mix than the Gulf — more transient highway traffic on I-95, Daytona Beach motorsport tourists, and Space Coast visitors near Cape Canaveral. Parks along this corridor tend to trade at slightly wider cap rates than Gulf Coast equivalents of similar quality, reflecting lower snowbird concentration and different demand seasonality. Jacksonville and the northeast Florida coast attract buyers looking for relative value in a Florida market that hasn't seen the same institutional run-up as Fort Myers or Naples.

South Florida and the Keys

Miami–Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Florida Keys

6% – 8%Cap rate range
Year-round strongDemand pattern

South Florida and the Keys represent the most supply-constrained RV park market in Florida and arguably in the entire eastern United States. Land costs in Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties make new park development economically impossible. Existing parks are irreplaceable assets. The Florida Keys are even more restricted — Monroe County zoning essentially prohibits new campground development, meaning existing parks transact at land values that often exceed income-based valuations. Parks in the Keys with good sites, marina access, or ocean views command prices that institutional income underwriting wouldn't justify, but that strategic land buyers and wealthy individual acquirers gladly pay. If you own a park in South Florida or the Keys, you have something genuinely scarce.

The Main Risk Factor

Hurricane exposure — what it means for your park's value and insurability

Hurricane risk is the primary underwriting variable that separates Florida parks from RV parks in most other states. Buyers, lenders, and insurance carriers all assess hurricane exposure differently by location — and the pricing differential between a well-located inland park and a low-elevation coastal park can be substantial.

Higher exposure

Coastal Gulf and Keys parks

Beachfront and near-coastal parks within FEMA flood zones carry the most hurricane exposure. Insurance is expensive — sometimes available only through surplus lines carriers. Buyers price wind and flood risk into cap rates carefully. Post-Ian values in Lee County have stabilized but carry a permanent insurance premium.

Moderate exposure

Inland coastal corridor parks

Parks 5 to 15 miles from the coast, outside FEMA flood zones, with good elevation are in the middle ground. Hurricane wind exposure remains real but storm surge risk is significantly reduced. Insurance is more readily available at standard market rates. Most Gulf Coast snowbird parks fall in this category.

Lower exposure

Central Florida and Panhandle inland parks

Parks in Central Florida (Ocala, Kissimmee, Tampa metro) and inland Panhandle locations carry the lowest hurricane risk profile in the state. Wind exposure exists but storm surge is not a factor. Standard commercial property insurers typically write these parks without the premium loading that coastal parks carry.

What to have ready when you call us: Your current insurance declarations page, any flood zone determination letters, and your claims history for the past 5 years. These three documents help us understand your insurance cost structure quickly and make a more accurate initial offer. A park with low annual insurance costs relative to revenue is worth more than one with premiums consuming 15% of gross income.

Long-Term Resident Parks

Florida Statute 723 — what it means for parks with long-term residents

If your park has long-term residents — tenants on monthly or annual leases rather than nightly or weekly visitors — Florida Statute 723 governs the relationship. Chapter 723 is the Florida Mobile Home Act and it applies to mobilehomes and certain RVs used as permanent residences. It's more tenant-protective than no regulations but significantly less restrictive than California's mobilehome laws or AB 1482.

Key provisions that matter to buyers: F.S. 723 requires specific notice periods before rent increases (90 days), mandates written rental agreements, limits certain rule changes, and provides eviction protections for long-term residents that don't apply to transient guests. None of this prevents a sale, but buyers will want to review your resident agreements and understand what obligations they're inheriting before they close.

55+ adult communities — parks that qualify under the Housing for Older Persons Act (HOPA) — operate under a different set of considerations. These parks must maintain 80% occupancy by residents 55 or older to retain their HOPA status. If that occupancy drops, the park loses the age restriction, which affects operations significantly. Buyers acquiring HOPA parks need to understand current demographics and the compliance maintenance requirements before closing.

What to disclose upfront on a park with long-term residents: Your current lease agreements, any pending rent increase notices, the resident roster with move-in dates, and any pending or recent disputes. Florida buyers experienced with Chapter 723 parks won't be surprised by what they find — but they need to see it before they commit, not during due diligence.

Florida Valuation

What buyers are paying for Florida RV parks in 2025

Florida commands some of the tightest cap rates nationally for its best parks, driven by the institutional buyer competition and the supply constraint that Florida geography and zoning create. The range is wide — from sub-7% for premier Gulf Coast snowbird parks to 12%+ for distressed or hurricane-damaged situations.

2025 Florida cap rates by park type and location

Premier Gulf Coast snowbird park (Southwest FL, clean) 6.5% – 7.5%
South Florida or Keys park (supply-constrained market) 6% – 7.5%
Well-run Central Florida or I-75 corridor park 7.5% – 9%
Panhandle or Atlantic Coast regional park 8.5% – 10.5%
Long-term resident park with F.S. 723 tenants 8% – 10%
Coastal park with high insurance costs or hurricane exposure 9% – 12%

The insurance cost factor in Florida deserves a specific note. A park with $60,000 in annual insurance premiums is worth significantly less than an identical park paying $18,000 per year — the operating expense difference flows directly to NOI and therefore directly to value. Since Hurricane Ian, the spread between well-insured and poorly-insured parks in Southwest Florida has become a meaningful valuation input that buyers model explicitly.

Common Situations

Why Florida park owners call us

Ready to exit after decades in the snowbird market

Many Southwest Florida parks were family operations that have run the same snowbird model for 20 to 30 years. The owners are ready for retirement themselves, and the market is currently favorable — a coincidence of good timing and earned success.

Hurricane damage or insurance cost pressure

Post-Ian, some Lee County and Charlotte County owners have decided that the insurance cost and the rebuild complexity make selling more attractive than continuing to operate. We can work with parks that sustained damage and haven't fully recovered.

F.S. 723 resident management fatigue

Long-term resident parks require ongoing compliance with Florida's mobilehome statute. Some owners reach a point where the regulatory relationship with residents is more exhausting than the income is worth. A direct sale removes that complexity.

Institutional offer but not sure it's fair

Florida sellers frequently receive unsolicited offers from institutional buyers. If you've gotten a letter or call from a REIT or private equity buyer, you deserve a second opinion on the number before you sign anything.

55+ community succession planning

HOPA-qualified adult communities have operational complexities that most successors aren't equipped to manage. Estate planning with a 55+ park often leads to a sale decision sooner than the owner anticipated.

South Florida or Keys land value conversation

Owners of South Florida or Keys parks sometimes want to understand whether the land value argument changes their decision. It often does. If you're sitting on a park in a supply-constrained market, the conversation is worth having.