ECONOMIC IMPACT OF
REAL ESTATE IN
SOUTH FLORIDA
Real estate values in Florida, especially waterfront properties, are tied to water quality. The Florida Realtors conducted an economic study to estimate the impact of polluted discharges from Lake Okeechobee on real estate values and found a $488 million reduction in property values around the St. Lucie and Loxahatchee estuaries in just the summer of 2013. That same study revealed a nearly $1 billion increase in property values in Lee and Martin Counties under improved water quality conditions. A 2010 Report by the Mather Economics showed that Everglades Restoration—by reducing harmful discharges from Lake Okeechobee and re-directing the flow of clean water back to the south—will provide a 4:1 return on investment in key areas like real estate.