The disparity in home values between NE and NW Tallahassee has created serious opportunities for prudent homebuyers looking for a great deal.
With price differences that often exceed $100K for the same home, expect to see westward migration from future Tallahassee homebuyers.
Large Homes For Sale In NW Tallahassee
The following list shows all homes for sale in Northwest Tallahassee that are 2,000 square feet or larger. You can click on the “show map” tab if you would like to see where they exist throughout the upper left quadrant of Leon County. The list is sorted from “lowest price to highest price” but you can change the sort order using the top-left drop-down menu. The first ten or so properties are available at almost half of what you would pay for similar homes (and land) on the NE side.
Nw Over 2000 Sqft Idx
Nw Over 2000 Sqft Idx
Where Is Tallahassee Moving?
Currently (and for many, many years), Northeast Tallahassee has dominated the housing market in Leon County. In fact, 52% of all homebuyers over the past three years chose a location in NE Tallahassee. During that same time, just under 30% chose a home in NW Tallahassee (so obviously the bulk of Tallahassee homebuyers are choosing to be on the north side).
It is my belief that there are compelling reasons and actions in our housing market that will promote a shift westward. Northeast Tallahassee will still dominate (because that is where most of the homes are), but you’ll start to see an increase on the West side and a decrease on the East side.
Why Northwest Tallahassee Home Sales Will Become More Active
The multi-family projects that have been built in recent years (mostly targeting students) are going to pull a lot of tenants out of single family homes, condominiums, and townhouses. These projects have all the “bells and whistles” that the young tenants are seeking, so it is likely we’ll see a rise in multi-family tenancies and a corresponding decline in single family tenancies.
As vacancies rise, the investors who own the single-family homes on the West side will move them from the “for rent” market to the “for sale” market.
As these properties come to the market, they will offer product at prices the Northeast side cannot accommodate.
Homes for sale under $200,000 will be very strong here.
Why Tallahassee Will Embrace NW Tallahassee
I think the perception of inferior schools (based upon current school ratings) has made many buyers focus away from NW Tallahassee and instead isolate NE Tallahassee in those areas with A-rated schools.
When property values were similar, it made choosing NE Tallahassee a no-brainer. But the value differences now are creating a temptation that current and future buyers are not going to be able to ignore. Especially if the buyers do not have school aged children (or children who attend private school). In many cases, the money saved on a home in NW Tallahassee is enough to pay the K-8 tuition in some of the private schools around town.
Also, we have a new Leon County Schools Superintendent who understands the importance of improving all schools in town. If we see significant improvement in West side schools, the housing market will surely follow.
How To Buy A Home In Tallahassee
My recommendation is to sit down with a real estate agent who specializes with helping buyers. Our specialists work with several buyers each week, and thus have seen more of the inventory of homes in Tallahassee than the majority of the agents who are not nearly so active. Spend 15 minutes with one of our specialists and you’ll quickly understand how we will save you money during your home purchase (you’ll be glad that you did). Just click this link, tell us how we can reach you, and we’ll be in touch.
