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“I’ve had a few clients from up north the larger cities like New York City and Austin, Texas. “We’ve seen a huge influx of buyers from bigger cities, echoing the national movement,” said Ally Kelley, a Realtor with Ocean Sotherby’s International Realty in the Middle Keys. National media has reported on population exodus from San Francisco, California and New York City, New York including reports of moving companies turning away a tide of clients looking to leave the cities. Like many real estate and lending experts, he attributes the pick-up in sales to record-low interest rates attracting second-home buyers as well as local buyers who are upgrading their homes. July was only down by three sales compared to 2019 and August was already up by 11% with a week left in the month, Grooms said. Fortunately, things picked back up in June.” In comparing residential sales in Key West for 20, real estate broker Bascom Grooms of Bascom Grooms Real Estate said, “January 2020 was even with 2019 February 2020 was down by seven sales and March was even with 2019, but April started seeing a big drop-off, with 40% fewer sales in Key West, and May was almost 60% lower than 2019 as a result of us being closed to visitors in late March, which is typically our busiest time. “We are working seven days a week and I am happily paying my staff overtime.” “I don’t think I ever imagined a year that there would be a pandemic and yet we are doing a record amount of business,” Wright said.