Buying & Owning

As a Northwest Florida local for the last 16 years, I know a lot of military service members who have lived here, and many who are living here now. Florida's military presence isn't small. In 2025, FloridaCommerce reported that the state's military and defense sector had a $102.6 billion annual economic impact and supported more than 865,000 direct and indirect jobs. Those are statewide figures, but the greater theme is hard to miss here in Northwest Florida: military personn

I love to start my articles with perspective. Today’s perspective comes from my own personal experience, both as a Realtor and a previous home buyer. When I bought my first home at age 32, I had already been a real estate agent for six years. I found the house on an MLS site, stared at the photos for probably an hour, and showed my spouse. The house checked a lot of boxes for both of us, and we agreed to tour it during its Open House the next day, a Saturday. I remember the h