Most believe it's a good time to buy in Florida

A new survey finds that 58 percent of Florida homeowners think the value of their homes in their community will continue to rise over the next 12 months, despite indications that the state’s unprecedented five-year housing boom is waning.

The annual survey, commissioned by Florida-based Attorneys’ Title Insurance Fund’s Consumer Education Campaign, polled more than 1,000 homeowners throughout the state between May and June 2006.

Floridians are split in their views about whether now is a good or a bad time to buy Florida real estate (each 42 percent), but residents in select regions like Orlando (43 percent), Sarasota County (53 percent) and West Palm Beach (49 percent) are slightly more likely to believe that now is a good time to buy a home than regions such as Broward County (39 percent), Miami-Dade (34 percent) and Tampa (42 percent).