Ocala Real Estate: How The Area Is Slowly Recovering From The Housing Crunch

The city of Ocala lies in the central Florida region, an area that is famous for the abundance of horse farms, where visitors will be surrounded by large, elegant estates and lush greenery, and are only a few minutes from the nearest shopping malls, interstate access, airport, and commercial and as well as medical facilities. In 1995, the prestigious 'Money' magazine named the city as the fifth best place to live for a city its size, in the United States.

The Warm Climate Serves As A Nice Spot For Buying Homes

The city is comfortably located just 72 miles from famous attractions such as Walt Disney World in Orlando. Along with the proximity to major tourist and commercial attractions, the climate is as beautiful, warm and filled with excellent sun-filled days and cool nights. As compared to other regions in Florida, the city is around 80 to 90 feet above sea level, and generally experiences balmy weather during the chilly, winter months.

According to the Marion County Building Department, the number of builders queueing for permits to construct single-family homes is creating new local records. The department has already issued 1,765 permits for new, single-family homes from April through June of this year, and this does not include those slated for construction within the city limits. This figure represent a 40 percent increase from the 1,260 issued over the same period last year. For those same months, the figures for the sale of existing single-family homes in the Ocala area was placed at 1,423, which was down by more than 18 percent as compared to the ,743 sold during the same period last year, based on the data provided by the Florida Association of Realtors.

The Local Housing Market Has Shaken Off The Slump Lately

According to local housing market analysts, a modest slump was noted in the new home market a few months ago, however the industry has been viewed as having been able to rebound back, and construction is back at previous levels. The temporary problem for new construction came about, in part, when construction speculators built homes with no particular buyers in mind, and were only hoping to cash in on the recent housing boom. Those homes bought by speculators flooded the market for a short time, but have now been absorbed by new buyers. As a whole, Marion County is still seen as a viable housing market, because of its location and since housing is still cheaper here than in many other areas in South Florida and in northern states as well.

For those who wish to purchase new homes in neighborhoods like Inverness, Crystal River, Beverly Hills, Dunnellon or other areas, one of the best things to do is to first get a good map, and try to drive around town. This helps buyers properly familiarize themselves with the current housing trends, and will help them get used to traveling around town as well. If this couldn't be done, home buyers could also conveniently check on the Internet for more information on the city's property market selections, and they may also take online tours of the city's neighborhoods.


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