Florida Featured Real Estate Market Areas and Agents

Florida is known as the "Sunshine State," located in the southeastern region of the United States, bordering Alabama to the northwest and Georgia to the northeast. Most of the state is a peninsula that juts out into the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, and only Alaska and Michigan have more water area. It is the fourth most populous state in the country, with more than 18 million residents. The largest city is Jacksonville, followed by Miami, Tampa, St. Petersburg and Orlando. The state is located near several Caribbean islands, most closely the Bahamas and Cuba. The state has a tropical climate, and its warm weather and hundreds of miles of beaches make it one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country, with around 60 million visitors annually. Tourism accounts for the largest portion of the state's economy, much drawn from the Walt Disney World Resort, the largest vacation resort in the world. The second largest industry is agriculture, with the state producing about two-thirds of all citrus fruit grown in the U.S. Phosphate mining is the third-largest industry, and the state produces about 75% of phosphate used in the U.S. and about 25% of the world's supply. The state has a good aerospace industry as well, with Cape Canaveral and the Kennedy Space Center.

The temperatures here generally range from the 40s and 50s in the winter up to the 90s in the summer. The state's location in the water make it prone to tropical storms and hurricanes. Florida's south is the site of the Everglades swampland, and many animals are found here that aren't found in many other locations throughout the U.S. like dolphins, manatees, alligators and crocodiles. Florida is one of nine states that do not impose a personal income tax. There are 11 public colleges throughout the state; the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida is an association of 28 private colleges, and the Florida Community Colleges System manages 28 community colleges. Most major-league baseball teams have spring training here. Golf is popular as well, with hundreds of courses, high- and low-end, throughout the state.