Florida’s Existing Home, Condo Sales Up in 2Q 2011
ORLANDO, FL – August 10, 2011 – (RealEstateRama) — Florida’s existing condo sales rose 8 percent in June with a total of 7,922 units sold statewide compared to 7,330 sold in June 2010, according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtors®. The statewide existing condo median sales price last month was $94,100; a year earlier, it was $92,300 for a 2 percent increase. The national median existing condo sales price was $165,400 in May 2011, according to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR).Statewide home and condo sales in the second quarter also increased over 1Q 2011’s sales figures, Florida Realtors’ records show. For 2Q 2011, statewide sales of existing homes rose 17.7 percent over the previous quarter’s activity; statewide existing condo sales increased 8.1 percent over the 1Q 2011 level.
The statewide existing-home median sales price was $134,600 for the three-month period; in 2Q 2010, it was $141,500 for a decrease of 5 percent. However, the 2Q 2011 statewide existing-home median sales price was 8.9 percent higher than the 1Q 2011 figure. The median is a typical market price where half the homes sold for more, half for less.
Looking at Florida’s housing sector in the second quarter of 2011, Dr. Sean Snaith, director of the University of Central Florida’s Institute for Economic Competitiveness, noted positive signs for a strengthening recovery. “Florida Realtors second quarter housing data shows that momentum in sales of both single family homes and condominiums continues to build, while median sales prices have also increased from first quarter to the second,” Snaith said.
“The fate of the housing market in Florida is tightly bound to that of the labor market,” he said. “They are like economic conjoined twins – improvement in one will invariably help the other. More jobs and lower unemployment will slow foreclosures as well as build the pool of potential buyers; both of these will work to help support prices. As single-family home and condo prices stabilize, the wealth effect of this will make owners more willing to spend, which in turn could boost hiring.”
Snaith added, “This may sound like a classic ‘chicken and the egg’ scenario, but as far as Florida’s economy is concerned, it doesn’t matter which comes first.”
In the year-to-year quarterly comparison for existing condo sales, 25,263 units sold statewide in the second quarter compared to 22,137 units in 2Q 2010 for a 14 percent gain. The statewide existing-condo median sales price was $94,700 in the second quarter; a year earlier, it was $96,400 for a 2 percent decrease. However, the 2Q 2011 statewide existing-condo median sales price was 17.3 percent higher than the 1Q 2011 figure.
Low mortgage rates were another favorable influence on the housing sector. According to Freddie Mac, the national commitment rate for a 30-year conventional fixed-rate mortgage averaged 4.66 percent in 2Q 2011; one year earlier, it averaged 4.91 percent.
Two charts showing statistics for Florida and its MSAs are attached. One chart compares the volume of existing, single-family home sales and median sales prices in the second quarter of 2011 to the second quarter of 2010, based on Realtor closed transactions from local Realtor boards/associations within the MSAs. The second chart compares the volume of existing condo sales and median sales prices in second quarter 2011 to second quarter 2010, based on Realtor closed transactions from local Realtor boards/associations within the MSAs..
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Florida Realtors®, formerly known as the Florida Association of Realtors®, serves as the voice for real estate in Florida. It provides programs, services, continuing education, research and legislative representation to its 115,000 members in 64 boards/associations. Florida Realtors® Media Center website is available at http://media.floridarealtors.org.
Contact:
Marla Martin, Communications Manager, or Jeff Zipper, Vice President of Communications 407/438-1400, ext. 2326 or 2314
