34 percent in 2007according to Freddie Mac

Petersburg- Clearwater 1,857 1,59716$145,700$199,800 -27West Palm Beach-Boca Raton638 46737$246,000$337,900 -27(1) Statewide figure includes data from the Naples Area Board ofRealtors.(2) Data is only from the Marco Island Association of Realtors.Editor's note: Sales numbers represent totals of Realtors' closedtransactions from local Realtor boards/associations within the MSAs.This information is based on a survey of MLS sales levels from Florida'sRealtor boards/associations MSAs are defined by the 2000 Census. Florida Sales Report - December 2008Existing Condominiums Realtor Sales Median Sales PriceStatewide &MetropolitanStatisticalDecemberDecember DecemberDecember Areas (MSAs) 20082007Chge20082007ChgeSTATEWIDE (1)3,138 2,81412$130,600$192,600 -32Daytona Beach4752 -10$155,000$237,500 -35Fort Lauderdale 595 45531 $97,300$171,800 -43Fort Myers-Cape Coral 212 14546$147,000$192,200 -24Fort Pierce-Port St. Lucie 795252$150,000$153,300-2Fort Walton Beach4349 -12$262,500$361,100 -27Gainesville1448 -71$140,000$135,000 4Jacksonville 7690 -16$123,800$152,000 -19Lakeland-Winter Haven1211 9 $58,000$110,000 -47Melbourne-Titusville- Palm Bay746710$107,500$165,000 -35Miami 456 30848$176,600$263,500 -33Marco Island (2) 2928 4$262,500$337,500 -22Ocala 1 4 -75 $85,000 $89,500-5Orlando 166 10854 $75,000$152,300 -51Panama City292138$212,500$275,000 -23Pensacola2041 -51$180,000$518,000 -65Punta Gorda2814 100$120,000$173,300 -31Sarasota-Bradenton127 246 -48$191,700$243,500 -21Tallahassee 310 -70$155,000 $90,00072Tampa-St. Petersburg- Clearwater 426 488 -13$128,800$181,700 -29West Palm Beach-Boca Raton527 41926$112,900$161,400 -30(1) Statewide figure includes data from the Naples Area Board ofRealtors.(2) Data is only from the Marco Island Association of Realtors.Editor's note: Sales numbers represent totals of Realtors' closedtransactions from local Realtorboards/associations within the MSAs.This information is based on a survey of MLS sales levels from Florida'sRealtor boards/associations MSAs are defined by the 2000 Census. 2326, or JeffZipper, Vice President of Communications, 1-407-438-1400, ext 2314, both ofFlorida Association of Realtors. Florida's Existing Housing Market Reflects Mortgage, Economic Issues at YearEnd 2008ORLANDO, Fla., Jan.

26 /PRNewswire/ Florida's housing market mirroredthe national trend in 2008, as mortgage industry troubles, unsettled financialmarkets, tightened credit and other economic issues impacted sales and prices.By year's end, a total of 124,215 existing homes sold statewide, a decrease of4 percent compared to 129,855 homes sold statewide in 2007, according to thelatest housing data released by the Florida Association of Realtors(R) (FAR).Florida's median sales price for existing homes was $187,800 at year-end2008; a year previously, it was $234,300 for a 20 percent decrease. The medianis the midpoint; half the homes sold for more, half for less."Taking steps to energize and stabilize the real estate market is key toeconomic recovery," says 2009 FAR President Cynthia Shelton. "Not only dostrong housing and commercial property markets generate business, but they areessential to helping families build wealth and stability."Research shows that the typical Florida homeowner intends to hold theirproperty for 10 years. Long-termhomeowners continue to have the benefit of price appreciation, as well as abenefit that simply can't be measured a place to raise their families, makememories and enjoy their lives A place to call home. December marked the sixth consecutive monththat a number of Florida markets noted higher sales activity.Economic issues are continuing to affect consumers and thus inhibit thehousing market, according to Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the NationalAssociation of Realtors(R) (NAR). But in NAR's latest housing outlook, henoted that the right economic stimulus package could help.

"With a properreal-estate focused stimulus measure, home sales could rise more thanexpected, by more than 10 percent to 5.5 million in 2009, and easily begin tostabilize home prices in many parts of the country," Yun said. "Stable homeprices will, in turn, lessen foreclosure pressures and lay the foundations fora solid economic recovery as the nation's 75 million homeowners regainconfidence."In Florida's year-to-year comparison for existing condos, a total of37,797 units sold statewide at year's end 2008, a decrease of 10 percentcompared to 41,865 sold by year's end 2007. The statewide existing condomedian sales price was $164,400; at year-end 2007, it was $205,200 for a 20percent decrease.The annual average interest rate in 2008 for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgagewas 6.03 percent, down from the annual average rate of 6.34 percent in 2007,according to Freddie Mac. FAR's sales figures reflect closings, whichtypically occur 30 to 90 days after sales contracts are written.Among the state's large to medium-size markets, sales of existing homes inthe West Palm Beach-Boca Raton MSA remained basically level in theyear-to-year comparison, with a total of 6,953 homes sold at year-end 2008compared to 6,971 homes the previous year. The existing home median salesprice was $302,800; at year-end 2007, it was $369,400 for an 18 percentdecrease.