Snowbirds flee Florida’s hot insurance rates

Florida’s mild climate and world-class beaches continue to draw Northern retirees seeking temporary refuge from harsh winter weather, but tourism experts say many of these snowbirds are shortening their stays.

Rental rates have risen to keep up with spiraling property insurance rates from recent hurricanes, pricing some retirees out of the market.

“Prices in rentals have gone up because of insurance. We’re 98 percent booked for February and March, but booked about 75 percent for January, which is very unusual,” said Lisa Durgin, a Cocoa Beach Realtor who rents to snowbirds. Durgin said this January is among the slowest she has seen.

In Brevard County, a study by Schulman, Ronca, Bucuvalas, Inc., found that the number of snowbirds fell nearly 9 percent to 27,600 in 2005 from 30,300 in 2003.