boom: Hey New Yorkers - is it time to buy in Florida? - 12/12/10 11:26 PM
I remember when I first moved to Florida full time.  It was in 2003, before the BOOM in real estate.  I owned a home in upstate New York which was worth about $40,000 at the time but the taxes were outrageous!   Couple that with winters where it was common for 6 feet to 10 feet of snow to accumulate – and it was an easy decision to make the move to Florida!  Sure, the median priced home was around $200,000 – but taxes were WAY lower (no state income tax, lower sales tax and lower real estate taxes!) and from a … (8 comments)

boom: Trends Tell The Story - Even if folks don't believe it - 02/12/10 10:36 AM
Here in central Florida, things have been rough for the last couple of years! 
We saw the "boom" of 2004-2006 and the "bust" of 2007-2009.   Many cities in Florida are still in a massive "over supply" situation with continued declines in home prices.
However, not all markets are the same.  In each appraisal report I write, I routinely compile trend analysis for a radius of similar homes around the home being appraised.  In this case, condominiums in the Disney tourist area along US 192.
Even with 16 years of appraisal experience, it is still tough to call a market "stable" or … (2 comments)