The county's real estate market began 2020 in a healthy position, Davis said, but that stagnated during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Open houseswere discouraged because of concerns during the pandemic, he said, driving a movement of buyers bidding for houses sight unseen and driving prices up.
People's perspectives changed around October, when they were ready to sell, Davis said. Shoppers from outside the county — where schools remained closed and stay-at-home orders remained in effect — were looking to relocate, he said.
"They saw Florida was open for business. They saw schools were open," he said. "They saw what (Gov. Ron DeSantis) did, and they liked it."