HOUSING HOPES?

Excerpted from the NW Florida Daily News 

DESTIN - July's preliminary figures are in, and for what appears to be the first time in months, foreclosure filings are no longer going up, up, up. Since May in Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, and Walton counties, those filings have begun to taper off slightly. Okaloosa is down 14 percent and Walton has dipped 13 percent, while Santa Rosa is up just 4 percent.

Data from the Emerald Coast Association of Realtors' Multiple Listing Service reflects a slight decline in inventory from January through July in Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, and Walton counties. Carmela Bell of ResortQuest's real estate division commented: " It's encouraging to note the average inventory of the three counties combined has decreased approximately 12 percent from 2007 to 2008." Mike Roche of Northstar Mortgage Group had a similar take: "Have we come to a bottom? Nobody's got that crystal ball. But we're getting more applications for loans, and that's a very good sign. Now's the time to buy when there's inventory out there and rates are still low."