The first quarter of 2009 saw Florida home sales rise, a trend which continued into April. That good news was driven by the fact that home prices across the state were down significantly. The new $8,000 tax rebate for first time homebuyers was also a factor in increasing sales.
For the month of April, sales of existing homes in Florida rose 18 percent compared to a year earlier. There were a total of 13,111 homes sold statewide in April, 2009. Additionally, existing condos saw sales increased in April by 21 percent from a year earlier and by 6.2 percent from March. The median sales price for existing homes in the state in April was $138,500, a 31 percent drop from a year ago when it was $199,500.
The ever-popular area of Central Florida around Orlando was one of the leaders in sales increases. The four-county metro Orlando area saw a 38 percent increase in sales from a year ago. Median prices fell from $215,700 in 2008 to $141,800 in April, 2009.
Nationally, the National Association of Realtors said existing-home sales rose 2.9 percent in April to an annualized rate of 4.68 million units.
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