What You Secretly Wanted to Know About Nudist House Hunting

 What do you do if you’re a nudist with extra cash to burn and a desire to be among like-minded people? If you want more than a quick trip to a nudist resort, you purchase a house.

In the United States this means you’ll probably be looking at a home in Florida. For those not familiar with the nudist community, Florida has some of the largest nude and clothing-optional resorts in the country. Pasco County, located a short drive from Tampa, has been called the Nudist Capital of the World.

So if you want to go about in the buff, swing down to Pasco.

With the summer season fully upon us and temperatures flaring (especially in the Midwest), the staffers at the Movoto Real Estate HQ have been eyeballing vacation spots. At least one person jokingly suggested a trip to Pasco. This got us thinking about the nudist community and housing.

To answer our questions, we turned to Jackie Youngblood. Since 2004, Youngblood has sold homes in nudist and clothing-optional communities. In a given year, she sells about 30 homes, half of which are in communities such as Caliente Club & Resorts or Paradise Lakes Resort.

Nudists are Like You and Me

A nudist herself, Youngblood–who speaks with a Southern drawl–said buying a home in a nudist or clothing-optional area isn’t different from buying a home in any other part of the country. Those looking to hunker down for a time in a clothing-optional region such as Pasco already have a good idea of what they want. More importantly, these folks know what to expect.

That makes sense, but doesn’t help the curious.

Youngblood, who spoke with Movoto from her home in Florida, said there are misconceptions about her lifestyle that could use explaining. A popular image, if inaccurate, is that the nudist and clothing-optional lifestyle goes hand in hand with sexual openness.

“You have folks who don’t understand the nudist and clothing-optional lifestyle,” Youngblood said. “They think there’s an orgy going on in there. No it’s not; it’s not allowed in there.”

Youngblood explained the nudist lifestyle is built around respect. Not every person wants to be au natural at all points. Along the same lines, a nudist’s family and friends might not be comfortable with the clothing-optional community.

“It’s very strict. The nudist and clothing-optional clientele are extremely respectful of each other,” she said. “You are put out of a community and resort if you are anything other than respectful.”

As an example, she detailed a resort community that goes to great lengths to accommodate relatives. This resort looks like any other Florida suburb; however, once you go behind the front facade there are pathways for individuals to stroll clothing-free.

“It was built with the concept that your family and friends could come visit you and they would never know you were at a nudist resort,” she said. “Each home has a fence behind it so that you can walk nude.”

Going Buff Brings in Bucks

If you do decide to take a trip to Pasco, Youngblood said you’ll come across a supportive community. This is partly because nude recreation is a thriving business. According to the American Association of Nude Recreation, which represents 260 affiliated clubs, resorts and RV campgrounds in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, the industry generates $440 million annually.

“The larger community around here really appreciates the nudist and clothing-optional lifestyle,” she said. “When folks are on vacation they spend big bucks. You have Europeans who come over for six months at a time; you have the snowbirds who come down six months at a time.”

Homes in the area run the gamut–single-family, townhouses, and condos. And like other destination spots, a large number of these abodes are second homes.

“They love to buy second homes in these resorts, which their families may not know about,” Youngbood said. “Homeowners have passed away and left their property to children and their children never had any idea that their parents owned a property in one of the resorts. Most heirs laughed about it all the way to the closing table.”

Jackie Youngblood: Agent to the Nudists

What’s it like being an agent in the nudist community? It’s the same job as being an agent in any other part of Florida, only clients might show up in the buff.

“They come straight from the pool if they want to. If they want to come in nude they can,” Youngblood said. “Me, I dress professionally. I don’t go around nude showing property.”