Florida is one of the hotspots of real estate investing in the US, having recently overtaken New York as the state with the second most-valuable housing market in the country. The state is experiencing high population growth, boosted by people seeking year-round warm weather. This has resulted in strong new construction figures for Florida, and the increased competition for existing homes have helped to increase home values by more than 80% since the start of the pandemic.
According to expert real estate investor and realtor Julien Raynard, this trend makes it ideal for investors who want to settle in the US, given Florida’s vibrant real estate market that provides various opportunities for investors to achieve their goals and dreams, something that Raynard himself has achieved.
Born and raised in a small village of around 1,500 people near Lyon, France, Raynard holds a master’s degree in business and entrepreneurship from one of the most prestigious universities in France. His family has been quite involved in the real estate and construction industry in the Lyon area, and he inherited that aptitude, as well. In 2016, he decided to cross the Atlantic with his wife, gaining entry with an E-2 investor visa and founding his first US venture in the media and consulting industry. In 2018, he transitioned to real estate, opening a fix-and-flip business in Ohio.
After successfully flipping more than 200 properties, Raynard sold the business and opened a new office in southwest Florida, where he built and sold 40 units in three years, mainly in Charlotte county, with the help of a local contractor. In 2021, he purchased, rebuilt and sold two hotels in the Pickwick Lake area, before focusing on single-family and multi-family residential properties.
As a realtor, Raynard provides a one-stop service for investors, mostly from Europe, who would like to invest in US properties, particularly in Florida. His fluency in three languages – French, English, and Spanish – and negotiating skills have resulted in more than $50 million of real estate sold across a wide range of uses, including luxury, residential, commercial, multi-family, hotels, industrial, vacant land and new developments. His specialty extends to international relocation for high-net-worth families and individuals, as well as support for investor visa applicants (E-2 and EB-5), including business and commercial transactions. Raynard has a strong network of high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and financial, legal, and accounting professionals on both sides of the Atlantic, which allows him to effectively facilitate transactions for European and US investors.
According to Raynard, many of his investments in Florida are in and around the city of Sarasota, where he works with international real estate brokerage Engel & Völkers. Sarasota has been ranked as the fifth-best place to live in the US for 2023-2024, based on quality of life, job market, value and desirability, up from no. 9 for the previous year. Raynard says that the Sarasota market is very lucrative for investors due to rapidly rising property values. The median sale price of $530,000 increased 28% year-on-year, driven by growing population, improving economic situation, and booming job opportunities. Sarasota benefits from Florida’s status as a tax haven, and is a popular destination for snowbirds, or people who migrate from the northern US and Canada to more tropical areas during the winter to avoid the cold weather.
“Sarasota used to be known as a retirement city for old people. This has changed over the years, and the city has become more family-oriented, which is why I moved my family here from Miami three years ago,” Raynard says. “There are a lot of new restaurants, entertainment events, and other places that young people will enjoy, but the word hasn’t spread that much yet. Once more people learn about it, we will see a further boom. During COVID, we were getting 20% each year on the real estate markets, which is still very strong. A lot of people are cash buyers, and property prices are still increasing.”
Raynard highlights another of his specialty areas for real estate investing, which is in Pickwick Lake, an area between Mississippi, Tennessee, and Alabama. While it is more rural than Sarasota, the economy and population in the area is booming due to the growth of job opportunities brought by the defense industry. A study by the Mississippi State University showed that around 5,000 people working in Pickwick Lake are unable to find good housing, forcing them to live outside of the surrounding Tishomingo County, which means driving for 30 minutes to one hour to reach their workplaces.
Raynard says that 70% of homes in Pickwick Lake were built before 1990, and there have been few new developments since. He is spearheading projects to build affordable residential units in Pickwick Lake, which presents a valuable investment opportunity that will fill the need for housing and improve the standard of living in the area.
“The real estate markets in both Pickwick Lake and Sarasota show excellent prospects, especially with post-pandemic recovery and growing demand for housing,” Raynard says. “I have been working in these markets for years, leading projects that will fill this demand and provide good returns for investors.”
Media contact:
Name: Julien Raynard
Email: [email protected]
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