From Sarasota Herald Tribune –

From the Florida Realtor’s Webpage –

In both the statewide single-family and condo-townhome markets, pending sales are higher and the statewide median sales price rose – up 5.3 percent to $129,000 for single-family homes and up 18.8 percent to $95,000 for condo-townhomes. Improving the availability of affordable financing to qualified buyers and investors would continue to stabilize Florida’s housing market and economy.

From Florida Realtors Webpage –

 “Mom and pop investors” are trying to capitalize on a depressed real estate market in the hopes of cashing in one day. This new breed of small-scale investors likes to buy and hold properties, as opposed to the real estate market that flipped properties quickly.  The strategy is to buy homes at rock-bottom prices, rent the properties out to cover all of the costs of homeownership for several years, and then one day sell the homes when prices recover.

From Florida Realtors Webpage –

Wyoming, Florida and Texas rank among the 10 best states for taxes on business. The Tax Foundation says it looks at dozens of state tax provisions to create the ranking –a single easy-to-use score that measures each state’s tax climate against every other state.

Tax Foundation economist Mark Robyn says “State lawmakers need to be aware of how their states’ business climates match up to their immediate neighbors and to other states in their region.”

From Florida Realtor Webpage – Jan. 24, 2012 

Housing inventory slid to 1.89 million homes in December – down 6 percent from the previous month and 22.3 percent from the prior year, according to Realtor.com.

In the 145 markets tracked by Realtor.com, only Springfield, Ill., registered a year-over-year increase. Inventories plunged 49.7 percent in Miami, 49.1 percent in Phoenix, and 46.6 percent in Bakersfield, Calif.

From Florida Realtors Webpage –

Foreign investors are finding plenty of deals in the U.S. when it comes to real estate, and more international investors are flocking to key states to buy their piece of the American Dream.

The top destination of foreign investors for U.S. real estate is Florida:

Thirty-one percent of all home purchases are made by foreign buyers, with most coming from Cuba, Haiti and Colombia.

From Florida Realtor Webpage – Jan. 12, 2012

About 1.9 million homes entered the foreclosure process in 2011, the lowest level since 2007 when the recession began, according to a report Thursday by the foreclosure listing firm RealtyTrac Inc.

From Florida Realtor Magazine –

In the Sarasota market:

There was a 5.5% increase in number of homes sold vs the month before and a 17% increase YTD.  

A 25% decrease in the amount of homes on the market YTD.

Median Sales price jumped from $149,838 in October to $162,000 in November.

Sale Price vs list price percentage continues to increase from 95.3% in November (the highest of the year).

Simply put there is less supply and more demand which equals higher prices.   

From Florida Realtor’s Webpage -  Freddie Mac released its U.S. Economic and Housing Market Outlook for December providing five projections for the coming year.

Outlook highlights for 2012

• Economic growth will likely strengthen to about 2.5 percent in 2012.

• The U.S. unemployment rate will decline but likely remain above 8 percent.

• Mortgage rates will likely remain very low, at least through mid-2012.

• Housing activity will be better in 2012, but not robust.

• Expect less single-family originations but more multifamily lending in 2012

From the Gallup Poll:

Best Long Term Investment, by Gender.