Real Estate News

The latest report from Florida Realtors revealed year-to-year increases in closed sales and median prices for single-family homes. Statewide, there were 16,259 closed sales for existing single-family homes in January, which is a 2.7 percent increase from last year. The $199,000 median sale price for those homes also represented a 13.7 percent increase from a year ago.

“Florida’s housing market remains on a steady path,” said Matey Veissi, president of Florida Realtors, in a press release. “While inventory levels are tight, the month's supply of homes for sale remains stable and distressed property sales continue to fall.

“The current market offers a great opportunity for sellers, who are getting nearly 94 percent (for existing single-family homes) of their asking price at the closing table.''

Matt Kelton is the chief operating officer of Nashville-based Showhomes, a home-staging franchise that operates 55 locations in 18 states. He said Florida is a top performer for the company.

“Florida is our biggest state in terms of number of locations and revenue,” Kelton said. “The feedback we get is that it’s a hot market, and we’re seeing homes sell very quickly.”

The Lakeland-Winter Haven metro area, which comprises all of Polk County, saw slightly better gains compared to the rest of the state.

There were 539 closed sales for single-family homes in January, which was a 4.9 percent increase from last year. The median price for those homes was $150,000, which is up 17.4 percent from a year ago.

“Polk County has had a lot of growth, especially in terms of new construction,” said Kelton, who lived in Lakeland for five years during the early 2000s. “We’re looking forward to establishing a presence in Polk.”

— John Ceballos can be reached at john.ceballos@theledger.com or 863-802-7515.