Sales of existing condominiums in Florida rose 10 percent in September, with a total of 5,675 condos sold statewide compared to 5,140 units sold in September 2009, according to the latest housing data released by Florida Realtors.
Ten of Florida’s metropolitan statistical areas reported higher existing condo sales in September. The statewide existing condo median sales price was $83,400; in September 2009 it was $102,300 for an 18 percent decrease.
While Jacksonville’s condo sales improved by 45 percent, the prices were down 30 percent.
However, September’s statewide existing condo median price was 2.2 percent higher than the statewide existing condo median of $81,600 in August. The national median existing condo price was $174,000 in August, according to the National Association of Realtors.
Meanwhile, in the year-to-year comparison for existing home sales, 13,536 single-family existing homes sold statewide compared to 14,781 homes sold in September 2009 for a decrease of 8 percent.
The Jacksonville area lagged behind the state, however, showing 7 percent sales decrease and a 2 percent drop in dollars.
Florida’s median existing-home sales price in September was $133,400; a year earlier, it was $141,700 for a decrease of 6 percent. The median is the midpoint; half the homes sold for more, half for less.
“Like the rest of the nation, Florida’s housing market is feeling pressure from an uncertain economy,” said 2010 Florida Realtors President Wendell Davis, a broker with Watson Realty Corp. in Jacksonville. “Easing foreclosures and increasing job growth would go a long way in stabilizing the market and strengthening the economic recovery. However, current record low mortgage rates along with available and affordable inventory continue to offer a rare opportunity for consumers who are ready to buy a home.”