‘It’s not really worth the cost’: Why more than half of Canadians with U.S. homes plan to sell within a year

Enjoying their vacation in Florida has long been a tradition for many Canadian snowbirds, but the summer dream is starting to change.

A new survey by real-estate company Royal LePage is revealing that 54 per cent of Canadians who currently own a home in the U.S. are planning to sell within the next year. 

The study comes as the market is already seeing a shift in Canadian sentiment towards U.S. property ownership, according to director of public relations and marketing at real-estate platform Zoocasa, Patti Cosgarea. 

“Particularly, snowbirds are deciding it’s not really worth the cost and complexity of owning a second home in the U.S.,” she said. 

Canadians’ sentiment towards the U.S. is shifting

A series of different factors appear to be driving Canadian focus away from U.S. ownership. Of the 54 per cent who said they are looking to sell, 62 per cent say the decision reflects the current U.S. government’s policies and broader political climate. Meanwhile, 44 per cent of those who have already sold their U.S. homes said politics played a part in their decision. 

As pointed out by Cosgarea, this is part of a broader shift in sentiment towards the U.S. administration, which goes beyond home ownership.

According to Statistics Canada, Canadians spent $3.3 billion less on U.S. visits in 2025 compared to previous years, in addition to 25.4 per cent less return crossings from the U.S. border in the same period. 

This is the third deepest and most sustained decline in crossings registered in Canada, coming behind only  the pandemic and the period following the World Trade Centre terrorist attacks in 2001. 

The decline comes as many Canadians have said they were boycotting U.S. travel and products after U.S. President Donald Trump imposed a series of tariffs on Canadian goods and services and made comments about the country becoming an American state. 

“We are definitely seeing Canadians spending less time in America. So, just changing attitudes towards spending time and money south of the border.,” Cosgarea said. 

“There’s also the ‘Buy Canadian’ movement, where many Canadians want to keep their dollar here, locally at home.”

Dollar conversion also playing a role 

Although the survey indicates politics as one of the main reasons for selling, 33 per cent of those looking to sell U.S. homes cited personal financial reasons.

According to Cosgarea, the weakening of the Canadian dollar might play a significant role, as many Canadians might now have to take a more expensive conversion rate into consideration when living abroad. 

“The loonie is sitting around about 70 U.S. cents right now, so Canadians need roughly $1.40 Canadian to cover every U.S. dollar of expenses,” she said. 

“When you factor in property taxes, insurance, HOA fees, and maintenance, it really adds up, especially when we’re talking about real estate.”

In addition, Cosgarea pointed out that many Canadians are currently going back to the office in a hybrid or full-time capacity, making it difficult to work from their vacation homes. 

Canadians looking to sell advised to seek assistance

After a slower period in real estate, Cosgarea said it might be hard to determine where buyers are going next, or whether the shift could turn the market in the sellers’ favour. 

Regardless of their reason for selling, the expert says Canadian home sellers should seek the help of local brokers or realtors to make sure they understand local market conditions and are making the most of their sale. 

“Sometimes summer is a little bit slower, and it can be a really hard time to sell. But of course, a lot of these snowbirds are probably looking to sell their property before the [cooler] season,” she said. 

“However, we are optimistic that the coming fall we’re going to continue seeing stronger market data and more and more people coming to market.”