"We found Florida Homes For Sale through Florida Home Buyer Guide"
Florida Homes For Sale
Florida homes for sale prices sound extremely cheap when compared to California, where the statewide median price in November 2004 was $473,260. Florida real estates agents feel that continued low interest rates are a major motivating factor for first-time and move-up buyers to keep looking for new Florida homes for sale. The rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 5.75 percent in December, even lower than the average rate of 5.88 percent in December 2003.
Inventory, Prices of Florida Homes for Sale
According to Florida Area Realtors, Florida's median existing single family homes sales price in December 2004 is close to the national median sales price for existing single-family homes, which was $188,900 in December 2004, up 8.1 percent from December 2003 when the median price was $174,800.
According to the recent press release from the NAR, "nationally, housing inventory levels dropped 11.7 percent at the end of December 2004 with 2.18 million existing homes available for sale, which represents a 3.9-month supply at the current sales pace. Tight housing supply is continuing to put pressure on home prices because we still have more buyers than sellers in the market. In fact, December's supply of homes available for sale is the lowest on record."
Florida Homes for Sale in Different Cities
Among Florida's larger MSA's (metropolitan statistical area), Jacksonville (which includes Amelia Island/Nassau County) reported an 11 percent increase in sales transactions of existing, single-family Florida homes for sale, with the median sales price up 15% to $165,700 in December 2004, compared to $144,300 in December 2003.
Jacksonville offers homebuyers more affordable housing options than some markets in the state. At the high end is Naples, where the median sales price for existing single-family Florida homes for sale was $355,400 in December 2004 -- the highest in the state. In November 2004, the median existing home price was $290,800 in Miami, $303,300 in Ft. Lauderdale, $256,700 in Sarasota/Bradenton, and $343,300 in West Palm/Boca Raton.
Florida's January home sales were up 10 percent, and the median price broke the $200,000 barrier, According to the Florida Association of Realtors. Florida may have hurricanes, but that's not stopping buyers from flocking to Florida. And the Jacksonville, Florida area offers far more affordable housing prices than some other areas of Florida.
Florida Mortgage Rates Affect Real Estate Market
Favorable mortgage rates, a growing economy and an improving job market boosted the Florida homes for sale market to a strong start in 2005 with a 10 percent increase in single-family existing home sales in January, according to the Florida Association of Realtors(R) (FAR). Statewide, sales of single-family existing homes totaled 15,567 last month compared to 14,204 homes sold a year ago.
Realtors from across the state reported that high buyer demand contributed to a tight inventory of Florida homes for sale in most markets and impacted median sales price. The statewide median sales price last month rose 24 percent to $204,900; a year ago, it was $164,900. In January 2000, the statewide median sales price for single-family homes was $109,200, resulting in an increase of 87.6 percent over the five-year-period, according to FAR records. The number of homes offered for sale this year is lowest and you will see this reflected in the Florida homes for sale listings.
