Buy Your Florida Home Now, Says Florida Realtors(R)

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Mar 31, 2010, 11:35 ET

Homebuyer Tax Credit Requires Purchase Contract by April 30

ORLANDO, Fla., March 31 /PRNewswire/ -- The countdown has begun: Only a month remains before the federal homebuyer tax credit expires, so now is the time for house hunters to find the home they've always wanted in Florida.

"Florida Realtors is sponsoring the first-ever statewide Florida Open House Weekend just in time to help homebuyers find their Florida dream home," says 2010 Florida Realtors® President Wendell Davis, a broker with Watson Realty Corp. in Jacksonville. "On April 10 and 11, people have the opportunity to conveniently see many homes for sale in communities throughout the state -- and it's timed to allow them to take advantage of the federal tax credit before it's too late."

Buyers must sign a home purchase contract by April 30 and close on the deal by June 30, 2010; otherwise, first-time buyers will lose the chance to receive up to $8,000 in tax credits, and buyers who already own a home could lose up to $6,500 in tax credits.

To find participating open houses, buyers should look for blue balloons featuring the distinctive Realtor "R" logo in white. Florida Realtors distributed 50,000 of those balloons, which will be on display simultaneously at open houses from the Panhandle to Key West as part of the Florida Open House Weekend.

Davis adds that conditions across the state remain favorable for homebuyers. "Buyers can find a variety of housing options at affordable prices, and mortgage rates remain near historic lows," he says. "To find out more, you should consult a Realtor® in your area about options, qualification criteria and opportunities in your local housing market."

To find a local Realtor, consumers can go to the Florida Living Network, www.fl.living.net, a consumer-oriented website offered by Florida Realtors. It has a search function for Realtors by name, by city and/or by specialty. For more information on the homebuyer tax credit, check out Florida Realtors website at: http://www.floridarealtors.org/AboutFar/homebuyercenter/index.cfm.

Florida Realtors®, formerly known as the Florida Association of Realtors®, serves as the voice for real estate in Florida. It provides programs, services, continuing education, research and legislative representation to its 115,000 members in 67 boards/associations. Florida Realtors® Media Center website is available at http://media.floridarealtors.org.

SOURCE Florida Realtors