Canada’s snowbirds reconsider calling the US their second home

(CNN) — Sharon Savoy, a 65-year-old retiree from just outside of Toronto, had planned a typical three-month stay at her vacation home in Miami earlier this month. But then she abruptly decided to put the trip on hold, and now she wonders when she’ll ever go back to her second home.

“I should be there right now,” Savoy told CNN. “But we’re trying to debate whether or not it’s a good idea to go.”

Savoy is one of the hundreds of thousands of Canadians who make their home in warmer parts of the United States during Canada’s colder months. In fact, Canadians are the top foreign buyers of US properties — making up 13% of all home purchases in 2024, mostly concentrated in Florida and Arizona — according to a July report from the National Association of Realtors.

But as trade tensions grow between the two countries, many Canadians have taken the conflict to heart, loudly booing “The Star-Spangled Banner” at sporting events and boycotting US-made products. Some Canadian snowbirds are reconsidering their lives in the United States altogether. US-based Realtors in Arizona and Florida told CNN they are fielding calls from Canadians looking to sell their homes, and recent data shows Canadian tourism to the United States has slowed to a trickle.

Stephen Fine, the president of Snowbird Advisor, a Canadian company that provides real estate, legal and insurance guidance to Canadians who travel south for the winter, said many of his company’s members feel “angry, upset, disappointed and frustrated.”

“A number of them are considering alternative destinations to the US next year. Some want to sell their US properties,” Fine said.

Savoy said that although she loves her Miami home, she is putting off a visit to show solidarity with her fellow Canadians.

“I’m in these snowbird groups where people have been saying we shouldn’t be spending money in the US,” she said. “I don’t want my country to feel like I’m betraying them during this threatening time.”

Economic fallout from tariffs

A drop-off in Canadian tourism could bruise the US tourism industry.

Canada is the top source of international visitors to the United States, according to the US Travel Association. A hypothetical 10% reduction in Canadian travel could mean $2.1 billion in lost spending and 14,000 job losses.

There are already signs of a slowdown: Canadian residents made 13% fewer trips by air to the United States in February and 23% fewer trips by car, compared to a year ago, according to Statistics Canada, Canada’s national statistical office.

Flight reservations from Canada to the United States have plummeted by more than 70% every month from March through the end of September, according to OAG, a travel data provider.

Share Ross, a Realtor based in southeast Florida, said she’s recently seen a sharp uptick in Canadians listing their Florida homes for sale.

“Some of the clients I have been dealing with want to sell at any cost, even at a loss,” Ross said.

Rental properties have also experienced a steep decline in demand this year, she said.

“The Canadian market for rentals is just done,” said Ross. “I usually get a few people from various provinces looking for homes to rent. I didn’t have any this season.”

A growing exodus of Canadians from Florida could strain the state’s already troubled housing market. Florida currently has a record number of homes for sale as homeowners face skyrocketing insurance premiums and a growing risk of hurricane-induced flooding fueled by climate change.

The drop-off in travel from Canada to the United States comes amid a bubbling tit-for-tat trade squabble between the two nations. The latest blow came this past week: US President Donald Trump said he would place a 25% tariff on all auto imports, which Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney called a “direct attack” in violation of US trade agreements with Canada.

Earlier this month, the Trump administration officially placed a 25% tariff on most of the other imports from Canada and Mexico. The president also ramped up threats to annex Canada and make it the 51st state. Canada responded by announcing retaliatory tariffs on billions of dollars worth of American goods, though the trade war threatens to plunge Canada’s economy into a recession.

“It is clear that the United States is no longer a reliable partner,” Carney said Thursday, adding that Canada would look to shift to trading more with other countries.

To sell or not to sell?

Miles Zimbaluk, an Arizona-based Realtor who offers cross-border real estate guidance for Canadians looking to buy and sell US property, said he believes politics isn’t the only thing motivating more Canadians to list their properties for sale.

Zimbaluk said a weakened Canadian dollar has factored into some snowbirds’ decision-making process. Last month, the Canadian dollar fell to its lowest level against the US dollar since 2003, meaning that everyday goods like groceries and gas have become significantly more expensive for Canadians. It also means that Canadians stand to make a profit by moving their money from the United States to Canada.

“There are people cashing in now and taking that dollar back to Canada and converting it back to Canadian dollars,” Zimbaluk said. “We’ve definitely seen a big uptick in people wanting to sell their homes for a lot of different reasons right now.”

Savoy, the Toronto-based retiree, said she isn’t quite ready to put her Miami home up for sale.

“I enjoy my life there. Miami has some great nightlife and beautiful beaches. It’s got everything you need, and I’ve never had any issues,” she said. “But if things continue to get worse, I will be selling my home in the USA. Not because I’m afraid of being there, but because, why would I want to do business there?”

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