Builder/Seller Incentives: Incentives are at an all time high. No closing costs. Furniture vouchers. Fly and Buy programs. Now is the time to maximize the value of your home purchase!

Favorable interest rates/reduced prices: Do the math. Lower rates multiply buyers financial power, especially now when rates are near a 40-year low. Even one/half of one percentage point difference means a buyer could save more than $1,000 per year on a median-priced home. Buyers get more home for the money.

OWNERSHIP TRUMPS RENTING: While renting may make sense for someone who expects to move in the next year or two, ownership continues to be a wise, long-term investment. Consider these financial benefits: Deductions on your annual income tax return, locked-in payment with a fixed rate mortgage, home price appreciation if you plan to live there for a few years, and a monthly mortgage payment comparable to rent payments. House values in the past decade have risen 88 percent on a national average, according to National Association of Realtor® research.

FINANCIAL VALUE TO FOREIGN BUYERS: International buyers benefit from the weaker U.S. dollar, multiplying their purchasing power. Buyers also appreciate the relatively low costs of Florida property compared with similar homes in their countries. According the 2007 NAR Profile of International Home Buying Activity Study Florida accounted for 26 percent of all international purchases.