NO KIDDING: WELCOME TO THE HOUSING BOOM

Welcome to the 2012 housing boom. Seriously. I’m not pulling your leg. I’ve seen it for myself, and it’s real.

My nephew and his family are relocating to Florida from North Carolina, and have been searching for a new home. As most folks do, they began their search online, printed information about a handful of homes that looked promising and headed south to meet up with their Realtor.

By the time they arrived, all the homes had multiple offers and most were under contract. And from what I am hearing, my dear nephew and his family are not alone. Realtor associations across the state are reporting the lowest number of inventory homes in years, and sales of new single-family homes are, to put it mildly, brisk.

National builders in the Central Florida market are reporting net sales up an average of 30 percent over last year, with some boasting sales up more than 40 percent. And with increased demand comes increased prices.

New homes, on average, are selling at 10-15 percent higher than a year ago. While record-low inventory is cited as one of the driving forces, historically low interest rates are also contributing to the recovery.

What’s even more encouraging is that economists and industry watchdogs all agree that the rebound of the housing market will continue nationwide — with Florida leading the pack.

That news is almost as good as having my nephew and his family back moving back home. And yes, they finally found a home and are anxiously awaiting their closing date.

THERESA SWANSON
Publisher
theresas@florida-homebuyer.com