Here's why Jeff Bezos owns 3 mansions on an exclusive Florida island — plus how to invest in multiple properties if you aren’t a 'Billionaire Bunker' resident

According to the Tampa Bay Times, The Florida native cited personal reasons, such as wanting to be closer to his family and his Blue Origins space company, for the move back to his home state.

After moving to Florida, Bezos announced a pre-scheduled stock-selling plan to unload up to 50 million shares before Jan. 31, 2025, and according to a Bloomberg report from late February, he finished the plan in just nine trading days. His cash out total was $8.5 billion.

As a resident of the Sunshine State — which does not tax on capital gains — Bezos managed to save hundreds of millions of dollars in taxes he would have had to pay to Washington state —where he previously lived —for the same transaction.

With the Florida advantage, he probably saved around $600 million on capital gains taxes on the entire sale.

While it may seem tough to emulate this move if you’re not a billionaire, it’s not impossible.

Here are 3 smart ways you can invest in multiple properties even if the current housing market has made you hesitant to buy a home and move right now.

1. Crowdfunding platforms

Crowdfunding has become a popular investing method in recent years. It refers to the practice of funding a project by raising smaller amounts of money from many people.

Many crowdfunding investing platforms allow you to own a percentage of physical real estate — from rental properties and commercial buildings to parcels of land.

For example, with Arrived is a real estate investing platform backed by Jeff Bezos himself. You can invest in shares of rental homes and vacation rentals without taking on the responsibilities of property management or having Bezos-level zeros in your bank account.

It’s easy to browse their vetted selection of homes, and when you find a property you like, you can choose the number of shares you want to buy. Once you’ve signed off on it, you’ll begin receiving quarterly deposits from the property’s income.

If you want to try your hand at owner-occupied real estate as opposed to rentals, Cityfunds is another crowdfunding platform that allows you to invest in residential properties in top U.S. cities — like Denver, Austin, Nashville and Miami — without having to pay for all the expenses that come with home ownership.

The company allows investors to invest in diversified portfolios of owner-occupied homes. In exchange for the cash, Cityfunds secures an interest in the home's future value. As the home value appreciates, so does the value of Cityfunds equity investment alongside the homeowner.

So you can invest in the housing market of a city you love for as little as $500, without having to deal with high home prices or the hassles of being a landlord.