The number of Canadians looking on Redfin.com to buy a home in the U.S. is down almost 20 percent from last year, according to recent data from the real estate brokerage.
For Florida, which has traditionally been the No. 1 destination for Canadians buying vacation and retirement homes in the U.S., this drop in interest has been particularly significant, contributing to the state’s recent housing market slowdown.
How Has the Number of Canadians Searching for Homes in the U.S. Changed?
The decline in interest for U.S. homes among Canadian prospective buyers began in February, after President Donald Trump announced an additional 25 percent tariff on goods imported from Canada, and has continued over the past few months.
The peak, according to Redfin, was in April, when Canadians’ interest in U.S. homes dropped by 34.2 percent year over year. That month, the Trump administration announced vast global tariffs, including a 10 percent levy on goods imported from all countries.
Since then, the shock of Trump’s tariffs has waned among Canadian prospective homebuyers, though interest has not recovered to last year’s levels.
It is likely that tariffs aren’t the only cause of Canadians’ dwindling interest in buying homes in the U.S. Canadians’ opinions of their southern neighbor and its president are at or near historic lows, according to a recent survey by the Pew Research Center. A majority of residents now see the U.S. as a country that poses the top threat to their own—more than China, which they saw as the No. 1 threat in 2019.
Only 22 percent of Canadians surveyed by the center had faith in Trump doing the right thing regarding world affairs, down from 52 percent who had confidence in then-President Joe Biden in 2024.
Canadians’ apparent mistrust of Trump follows the U.S. president’s repeated call for Canada to become “the 51st state.” In March, he said Canada joining the union would help it avoid higher tariffs.
Canadian leaders took Trump’s statements seriously. Then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused Trump in March of imposing higher tariffs on Canada to trigger “a total collapse of the Canadian economy, because that’ll make it easier to annex us.”
Why Is Florida Being Particularly Affected?
Canadians have historically made up a large share of international buyers in the U.S. housing market, especially in Florida—a coveted destination for snowbirds looking for a place in the sun. In 2024, Canadians made up 13 percent of foreign buyers in the U.S., buying $5.9 billion worth of U.S. real estate.
This year, Canadian searches for U.S. homes have dropped in 46 of the 50 largest U.S. metropolitan areas, according to Redfin data, hitting Florida’s West Palm Beach the hardest. Searches for homes in the city from Canadian buyers plunged 26.6 percent year over year in August.
Two other Florida metros, Tampa (-23.1 percent) and Orlando (-23 percent) were also among the 10 U.S. metros where the number of Canadians searching for U.S. homes fell most year over year in August.
There is more at play here than higher tariffs and a relatively hostile political environment behind Canadian buyers’ loss of interest in Florida homes. The Sunshine State has experienced a surge in other rising costs in recent years—including higher home insurance premiums, homeowners association fees and property taxes—which has affected both local and foreign buyers.
These affordability challenges, combined with still elevated mortgage rates, have contributed to bringing sales down in Florida across the board. As of July, according to Redfin, sales in the state were down 7.3 percent year over year at 31,042, while inventory was up 9.3 percent at 224,165. More homes are now siting idle on the market for longer before going under contract or remaining unsold.