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Tools for every step of a Sun Belt move
You probably won't move again for a decade, and four decisions will define what the move actually costs you: the mortgage rate you accept, the agent you pick, the mover you book, and the insurance you renew. Here's what we'd use ourselves, in the order we'd line them up.
Updated May 2026
How we picked these. Every listing here is a service we would recommend to a friend relocating across state lines. Some are affiliate partners — those cards are tagged and we earn a commission when you sign up, at no extra cost to you. We do not accept payment for inclusion. See our full disclosure.
Step 1 — Run the numbers
Mortgage & financing
Touring homes before you’ve locked down two numbers — the monthly payment your income can carry, and where this week’s rate actually sits — is how people end up bidding on places they can’t afford.
By the numbers
6.3%
30-year fixed, May 2026
A 0.25% rate gap is roughly $65/mo on a $400k loan — worth shopping at least three lenders.
Sun Belt note
Texas charges no state income tax but has the highest property-tax rates of our 12 metros — combined county rates run 2.0–2.3% in Houston, Austin, Dallas, and San Antonio versus the ~0.9% US average. Bake the tax into your monthly payment before comparing affordability across states — a cheaper Austin home can cost more monthly than a pricier Phoenix one.
How to choose
- 1
Compare quotes from at least three lenders. The spread between the best and worst is typically 0.25–0.5%, which is real money over a 30-year term.
- 2
Don’t lock the rate until you have a signed offer. Pre-approval letters last 90 days, but rate locks expire in 30–60 — you don’t want to lock and then re-lock.
- 3
Read the loan estimate’s APR, not the headline rate. APR bakes in lender fees and is the only apples-to-apples figure across quotes.
Bankrate
Live mortgage rate comparison across major lenders, updated daily. Useful sanity check against any single quote you receive.
Compare ratesLendingTree
Rate-shopping marketplace — submit one form, multiple lenders compete. Best for buyers who haven’t yet picked a lender.
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Step 2 — Find local expertise
Real estate agents
You don’t know the streets, the school zones, or which agents actually return texts on a Saturday. That’s what a good local buyer’s agent fixes — and after the 2024 NAR settlement, the way they get paid changed in ways most cross-state buyers haven’t caught up with.
By the numbers
~2.4%
Average buyer-agent commission, Q3 2025
Down from ~2.7% pre-NAR-settlement. Listing-side compensation is no longer guaranteed and may be paid by buyers directly.
Sun Belt note
After the 2024 NAR settlement, listing-side commissions are no longer guaranteed to compensate the buyer’s agent. Discount-referral networks like Clever pre-negotiate this, which removes a friction point that has caught a lot of cross-state buyers off-guard.
How to choose
- 1
Interview two or three agents and ask each for their last five closings in your target ZIP. Recency and locality matter more than total volume.
- 2
Verify the licence on your destination state’s real-estate commission website. It takes 30 seconds and surfaces complaints and discipline history.
- 3
Get the buyer-agent agreement in writing, including how compensation is paid. After the 2024 NAR ruling, buyers may now pay their agent directly — don’t assume the seller will.
Clever Real Estate
Free agent matching that negotiates listing fees down to 1.5% (vs the ~2.88% national listing-side average), with a $3,000 minimum. Buyers can earn cash back on qualifying purchases — note that the cash-back rebate is not available in Tennessee or several other states.
Find an agentUpNest
Agents compete for your listing — see proposals side by side before choosing. Useful for sellers; less useful for buyers.
Compare proposalsRelated from SunBeltPulse
April 30, 2026 · 5 min
Houston's Flood Insurance Reckoning: Hundreds of Thousands of Homes in FEMA Zones and an Above-Average 2025 Hurricane Season
April 28, 2026 · 5 min
Atlanta's Historic Migration Reversal: What a 30-Year Trend Shift Means for Buyers and Investors
April 16, 2026 · 5 min
Florida's Insurance Reform Is Working: Citizens Premiums Are Falling and 17 New Carriers Have Entered the Market
Step 3 — Plan the move
Moving services
Relocations to the Sun Belt average 1,200+ miles. Pricing varies 3–5× depending on whether you drive yourself, hire labour-only, or full-service. Get three quotes minimum.
By the numbers
$4,000–$9,000
Cross-country 3-bedroom, full-service (1,500 mi)
Self-pack containers (PODS, U-Pack) typically run $2,000–$4,000 for the same load.
Sun Belt note
Cross-country routes into Phoenix and Tampa are the most price-volatile — both have heavy summer corporate-relo flow. Austin and Charlotte spike during back-to-school weeks for the same reason. If your dates are flexible, moving in October–March can cut the bill by 20–30%.
How to choose
- 1
Book eight weeks ahead for summer. Sun Belt corporate-relocation season runs June–August and prices typically spike 20–30%, with the busiest weeks running 30–40% above off-season.
- 2
Get three binding quotes — not estimates. Estimates can be revised on moving day; binding quotes can’t. The difference can be thousands.
- 3
Verify the mover’s USDOT and MC numbers via FMCSA’s SAFER Company Snapshot (safer.fmcsa.dot.gov) before paying any deposit. Unlicensed brokers are the single biggest source of moving fraud.
PODS
Container delivery — load it on your timeline, they drive it. Strong fit for cross-country moves where flexibility matters more than speed.
Get a quoteHireAHelper
Labour-only marketplace — book movers by the hour to load or unload a truck or container you arranged. Cheaper than full-service, hassle-free.
Book labourU-Pack
Long-distance freight option — they bring a trailer, you load it, they drive it. Cheapest cross-country option for full households.
Get a quoteRelated from SunBeltPulse
April 28, 2026 · 5 min
Atlanta's Historic Migration Reversal: What a 30-Year Trend Shift Means for Buyers and Investors
April 16, 2026 · 5 min
Phoenix Is Still Growing: Why Domestic Migration Keeps Flowing Into the Valley While the Rest of the Sun Belt Stalls
April 15, 2026 · 7 min
Tampa's Domestic Migration Collapsed 70% in 2024 — What the Data Says About Florida's Fading Appeal
Step 4 — Reorganise insurance
Home, auto & health insurance
Florida and Texas premiums have doubled in some markets since 2022. Compare three quotes before you renew — rates vary widely by ZIP code, build year, and roof age.
By the numbers
$4,200/yr
Florida average homeowners premium (2025)
Roughly 2× the US average. Coastal-county premiums regularly exceed $8,000.
Sun Belt note
Florida, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi, and South Carolina have lost dozens of carriers since 2020. Kin specifically writes the markets others reject — it started in Florida hurricane country and now operates across the Sun Belt. For Tampa, Jacksonville, and Orlando in particular, Kin is often the most competitive non-Citizens option.
How to choose
- 1
Quote three carriers separately. The spread is wider for property insurance than any other line — bundling with auto can cut another 8–15%.
- 2
Re-shop annually, not every three years. Sun Belt premiums move 15–25% per cycle in volatile markets, and stale policies bleed money.
- 3
In Florida, check Citizens Property Insurance eligibility. For some coastal ZIPs it’s the only available option, and it’s the carrier of last resort by design.
Policygenius
Compare home, auto, and life insurance quotes from major carriers in one form. Especially valuable for Florida coastal counties and Texas hail-belt ZIPs.
Compare quotesKin
Direct-to-consumer home insurer that writes coverage in all 12 Sun Belt metros — including Florida, Texas hail-belt ZIPs, and other hurricane-exposed markets where Lemonade and many traditional carriers won’t. Fast online quotes; especially competitive on coastal homes.
Get a quoteeHealth
Independent health-insurance marketplace — useful when you’re losing employer coverage during a job change or move between state ACA exchanges.
Browse plansRelated from SunBeltPulse
February 28, 2025 · 7 min
Tampa's Hidden Affordability Crisis: When Insurance Costs More Than Property Tax
April 16, 2026 · 5 min
Florida's Insurance Reform Is Working: Citizens Premiums Are Falling and 17 New Carriers Have Entered the Market
April 30, 2026 · 5 min
Houston's Flood Insurance Reckoning: Hundreds of Thousands of Homes in FEMA Zones and an Above-Average 2025 Hurricane Season
Optional — Test before you commit
Try the city first
The spreadsheet won’t tell you what an August commute on the I-10 feels like at 5pm, or whether your kids will actually play outside before sundown in July. A month on the ground will.
By the numbers
$2,800–$4,500
Sun Belt monthly Airbnb (1-bedroom)
Furnished Finder runs roughly $1,800–$2,800 for the same locations on 60+ day stays.
Sun Belt note
For 60+ day stays, Furnished Finder is roughly half the price of Airbnb — it’s built for travelling nurses and corporate relocators, not vacationers, so most listings are bare-bones but functional. If you’re testing for two months or more, start there.
How to choose
- 1
Stay at least 14 nights. Anything shorter reveals only weekend pricing and tourist neighbourhoods, not where you’d actually live.
- 2
Pick a specific neighbourhood, not just a city. Drive your hypothetical commute at 8am on a Tuesday before you sign anything.
- 3
While you’re there, call a local broker for a real insurance quote on the kind of place you’d actually buy. Walk a grocery store. Read an HOA covenant. The line items that look identical from out of state really aren’t.
Airbnb monthly stays
Discounted nightly rate for 28-night-plus stays — filter by "Monthly stays" once you pick a city. Best for couples or solo movers testing a specific neighbourhood before buying.
Browse AirbnbFurnished Finder
Month-plus furnished rentals targeted at travel nurses and corporate relocators. Cheaper than Airbnb for 60+ day stays.
Find a rentalFor investors
Sun Belt property investing
Sun Belt SFR yields have outpaced the national average by 80–120 bps a year since 2020. Direct ownership is one path. So is eREIT exposure or pre-tenanted turnkey — both useful when the operator is already on the ground and you aren’t.
By the numbers
5–7% gross / 3–4% net
Sun Belt build-to-rent yield (2025)
Cap rates have historically run 50–100 bps above coastal markets, though that spread has compressed to ~30 bps in 2025. Insurance and tax volatility eat into the remaining gap.
Sun Belt note
Texas’s lack of state income tax improves cash-on-cash returns by ~3–4 points vs California-equivalent investments. Florida’s insurance volatility is the single biggest risk factor — model 50% premium increases in any 5-year hold and stress-test the deal at that level.
How to choose
- 1
Verify cap rates against actual lease comps. Pro forma yields from listing brokers regularly overstate by 100–150 bps — get current signed-lease numbers, not asking rents.
- 2
Reserve one month of rent annually for repairs and another for vacancy. Sun Belt turn rates run higher than the US average, especially in build-to-rent communities.
- 3
Pick yield over appreciation in a 6%+ rate environment. Cash-flow today beats betting on price growth that may not materialise.
Fundrise
eREITs with concentrated Sun Belt exposure (build-to-rent, multifamily). $10 minimum, no accreditation required.
See current fundsRoofstock
Marketplace for tenanted single-family rentals across Sun Belt metros. Buy a turnkey property with the lease already in place.
Browse propertiesRelated from SunBeltPulse
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April 13, 2026 · 7 min
Austin and Tampa: Housing Supply Rises Above Balanced-Market Norms — What the Sun Belt's Deep Buyer Markets Mean for 2026
April 28, 2026 · 5 min
Atlanta's Historic Migration Reversal: What a 30-Year Trend Shift Means for Buyers and Investors
Frequently asked
Common questions about relocating to the Sun Belt
- When's the cheapest time to move to the Sun Belt?
- October through March. Sun Belt corporate-relocation season runs June through August and prices typically spike 20–30%, with the busiest weeks running 30–40% above off-season. A flexible mover can cut the bill by 20–30% by shifting dates outside that window.
- Do I still need a buyer's agent after the 2024 NAR settlement?
- Yes — but the way you pay them changed. Listing-side compensation is no longer guaranteed, so buyers may now pay their agent directly under a written agreement. Discount-referral networks like Clever pre-negotiate this, which is the friction point most cross-state buyers haven't caught up with.
- Why is Florida homeowners insurance so expensive?
- Florida's average homeowners premium is roughly $4,200/yr — about 2× the US average — and coastal-county premiums regularly exceed $8,000. Hurricane risk, litigation costs, and a wave of carrier exits since 2020 have all driven prices up. Kin specifically writes the markets others reject; Citizens Property Insurance is the carrier of last resort by design.
- How long should I test a city before relocating?
- At least 14 nights — anything shorter shows you only weekend pricing and tourist neighbourhoods. For serious testing, 30+ days reveals weekday commute reality, neighbourhood feel, and whether the climate suits you. Furnished Finder is roughly half the price of Airbnb for stays of 60+ days.
- What's a typical mortgage rate right now?
- The 30-year fixed sat at 6.3% in early May 2026 per Freddie Mac PMMS. A 0.25% rate gap is roughly $65/mo on a $400k loan, so shopping at least three lenders is worth real money over a 30-year term.
- Can I invest in Sun Belt rentals without buying a property?
- Yes. Fundrise eREITs hold concentrated Sun Belt build-to-rent and multifamily exposure with a $10 minimum and no accreditation required. Roofstock is a marketplace for tenanted single-family rentals where you can buy a turnkey property with the lease already in place.