Development region importance

So, tons of "it depends" in this type of question....

If your development experience becomes very market/region specific... then yes, it will be harder to translate that to other markets (like if you work a lot with zoning, community engagement, or even leasing/tenant engagement in some cases). 

If your dev exp. is more task/project specific... like finance, const. mngt, etc. then easier to make it portable. 

Still, getting hired by another firm in a different market can be difficult. I've recommended people for jobs at my firm in various markets who were from outside markets, many do get past initial screen and even into second rounds..... but.... they always get beat by a candidate in the local market with same type of experience. This is just an example, and our firm gets tons of applicants given repute in markets we operate. But, yeah, it is not super easy to move markets in development, but def not impossible. 

Certain property types (like multifamily) can be more "portable", and if you work for large, multi-market developer then internal transfer maybe an easier option. It is also easier to move from large markets (NYC/LA) to smaller markets than it is to do the reverse. NYC to Florida is probably easy because all the NY firms are doing it anyway. So, I wouldn't generalize or suggest you are "screwed", but moving market to market in development can feel more like a "jump" than regular career moves.