You’re seeing the great escape from cities unfold in real time. Where are New York city slickers going? Palm Beach, Miami, and Naples to name a few. The Wall Street Journal editors lament the recent assassination of two NYPD officers, writing:
A second New York police officer died of his wounds Tuesday after being ambushed on Friday night while responding to a call about a domestic dispute. Wilbert Mora, who was 27 years old, died after being shot in the head by an assailant who kicked open the door of a bedroom and opened fire on officers.
Another officer, 22-year-old Jason Rivera, died earlier from the same shooting. Rivera had joined the NYPD only months earlier out of what he said was a desire to improve ties between the police and the community. Two other New York officers were shot in separate incidents last week.
New Yorkers are sad and furious at the police murders, and they should be. The killer was Lashawn McNeil, a 47-year-old career criminal whose mother had called 911 because she was in an altercation with her son.
New Mayor Eric Adams, a former police captain, said he’d like the police video of the shootings to be released so everyone can see what amounted to an assassination. If the families of the officers don’t object, he said, “I do believe that is a video I personally feel everyone needs to see.”
Good idea. Civilians need to know how police can be at risk responding to even a routine 911 call.
But the people who really should be forced to watch the video are members of the City Council and the Legislature in Albany. Their two-year campaign against police has created a far more dangerous city, where criminals get sprung without bail to commit more crimes, and police are treated as if they are the cause of public disorder. A measure of justice for the dead officers would be the lasting shame of these anti-police politicians.
The Secret is Out
Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal/Realtor.com Emerging Housing Markets Index ranks Naples, FL as its top city for the fourth quarter of 2021. The WSJ reports:
In the Naples area, which has a population of about 393,000 residents, home sales in 2021 rose 26% from a year earlier, according to the Naples Area Board of Realtors. The median home-sale price for the year rose 20% to $445,000.
Naples and nearby cities in southwest Florida are known for their golf courses, water sports and miles of white sandy beaches.
“Naples was always a luxury area, but it was, I think, a well-kept secret,” said Realtor Denny Bowers, at Compass in Naples. “That secret is out, obviously.”
About 82% of page views on Naples-area property listings came from outside the metro area in the fourth quarter, according to Realtor.com. The top metro areas for interest in Naples listings included places with colder winter climates, such as New York City, Chicago and Boston. But nearby—and more expensive—Miami was second, after New York.
Midwesterners have long vacationed on Florida’s west coast, Mr. Bowers said, but he is now seeing more buyers from the East Coast and California.
Some households that were planning to move to Florida upon retirement have moved up their time lines, either retiring earlier than planned or working remotely, said Brenda Fioretti, broker associate at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty in Naples.
“In years past, if you left the Northeast and came to Naples, you would take about a 50% pay cut, and that’s the price you paid to relocate here,” she said. “But now that’s not necessary.”
Households have also been drawn to Florida’s lower taxes and relaxed Covid-19 policies, she said.
Tim and Megan Cook decided to move from Illinois to Florida in late 2020 because they wanted their teenage daughter to be able to attend school in person and spend more time with her grandparents, who live in Florida. They sold their house near Chicago in December 2020 and bought a home in Naples. They are now planning to move to nearby Bonita Springs to be closer to the beach.
“On June 1 of 2020, if somebody said, ‘You are going to be living in Florida by December,’ I would have been like, ‘You’re crazy,’ ” Mrs. Cook said. “Thank gosh we did what we did.”
Action Line: If you’re serious about getting out of an “Escape State,” and relocating to one of my Super States, now is the time. Beat inertia by clicking here to sign up for my free monthly Survive & Thrive newsletter. I’ll help you beat inertia and achieve the success you want for yourself and your family. But only if you’re serious.
