Etc...
Sunbelt: where the real estate bubble remains firmly inflated
Judging by the rising prices of single-family homes, Florida remains a housing hot spot. The state placed six cities among the top 10 national markets last year, when the median sale price for housing jumped 13.6 percent, according to the National Association of Realtors. The Phoenix metropolitan area led the way with a nearly 50 percent upturn. But right behind was the Fort Myers/Cape Coral market on Florida's Gulf coast. The urban markets where house prices rose the most in 2005, with the percentage gain and the median price.
1. Phoenix/Mesa/Scottsdale, Ariz. ($268,400) 48.9%
2. Cape Coral/Fort Myers, Fla. ($293,100) 48.0%
3. Orlando, Fla. ($261,800) 42.0%
4. Ocala, Fla. ($161,000) 41.2%
5. Tampa/St. Petersburg/Clearwater, Fla. ($223,000)
(tie) Tucson, Ariz. ($245,200) 32.3%
7. Virginia Beach/Norfolk/Newport News, Va. ($220,500) 31.5%
8. Sarasota/Bradenton/ Venice, Fla. ($374,900) 30.0%
9. New Orleans/Metarie/Kenner, La. ($181,200) 29.2%
10. Deltona/Daytona Beach/Ormond Beach, Fla. ($208,900) 28.5%
- money.cnn.com