Duval County Investors Now Own 32% of Non-Homestead Homes
Published by Cash Flow Deals · Last updated 2026-07-16 · Reviewed by Camilo Palacio, Licensed Florida Real Estate Professional (License #3280644, REALTOR®), affiliated with Silver Door Realty, LLC (License #CQ1064903)
A new Action News Jax investigation into Duval County's rental market found that investors owning three or more properties - including national investment firms - now hold 32% of all non-homesteaded condos and single-family homes in the county, according to Duval County Property Appraiser Joyce Morgan. The surge traces back to homeowners who locked in 2.5% to 3% mortgage rates during the pandemic and, when they needed to move, chose to keep those low-rate homes as rentals rather than sell and give up the rate. A local broker quoted in the report says that shift accelerated in 2024 as more of those homeowners relocated. For Duval County homeowners weighing the same decision - sell now or hold as a rental - the math depends on whether the property, the tenant situation, and your timeline actually support landlording, not just whether the mortgage rate looks good on paper.
What This Means for Florida Home Sellers
Duval County's rental stock is growing because homeowners are choosing to hold onto low-rate mortgages instead of selling, which means more competition for buyers who need financing and fewer traditional owner-occupant purchases moving through the market. If you converted a house to a rental instead of selling, or you're now managing a tenant you never planned to become a landlord for, that decision doesn't have to be permanent. Selling a tenant-occupied property in Florida is legal and does not require eviction - the lease simply transfers to the new owner.
Should You Keep the Rental or Sell It in Duval County
Holding a rental only pencils out if the numbers work: rent covers the mortgage, taxes, insurance, and maintenance with room left over, and you're willing to manage tenant turnover, repairs, and Florida's insurance requirements on an aging property. The Action News Jax investigation cites one Northeast Florida home that sat on the market for six months as a listing before it leased as a rental in 30 days - a real example of how differently the sale and rental paths move. If being a landlord wasn't the plan and it isn't working, an outright sale, tenant in place or vacant, settles the question instead of leaving it open indefinitely.
What Florida Sellers Should Do Now
If you became a Duval County landlord because selling didn't pencil out a few years ago and you'd rather have the equity than the tenant, start by getting a real number for what the property is worth today - Northeast Florida home prices have moved from the $200,000s pre-pandemic into the $380,000s in the years since. Cash Flow Deals can make a no-obligation offer on the property as-is, tenant-occupied or vacant, without requiring you to end the lease first. Compare that net number against what you're actually clearing after mortgage, insurance, repairs, and management before deciding whether landlording is still worth it.
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What this means for your options
When more landlords list rental property at the same time, buyer attention splits across more listings. Properties that don't compete on the open market close faster.
Wait and see
Keep the property as-is and hope conditions improve. The mortgage, insurance, and upkeep keep costing money while you wait, with no set date for things to turn around.
List with a traditional agent
Standard MLS listing, typically 5-6% in commission, and a financed buyer whose deal depends on appraisal, inspection, and lender approval — any of which can fall through after weeks on market.
Sell to Cash Flow Deals
No repairs, no showings, no financing contingency on your side — our novation structure connects you with a bank-financed buyer at a price locked at signing. A no-obligation offer, usually within one business day.
See your no-obligation cash offer before you decide anything.