Some housing bubble reports out of Florida. "Midtown Miami, the massive mixed-use residential development is up for sale. Real estate broker Edie Laquer said they always planned to sell after construction started. But market watchers immediately questioned whether this is another example of a residential developer trying to limit risk at a time when the housing market has cooled."

"'This is another sign of where this market might be headed,' said Jay Massirman,with real estate brokerage CB Richard Ellis in Miami. 'It says to me that they're worried about the market.'"

The St. Petersburg Times. "How long can a house fail to sell and still be called 'Simply Irresistible?' There may be no better illustration of the real estate glut than a 2,800-square-foot house, which debuted at $710,000 in December. The house's price tag recently was cut to $675,000. But after more than 200 days on the market, the listing, and its signs, persist, raising doubts about the home's compulsive appeal."

"Delays are hitting a few of the region's major condominium projects, but not every developer is blaming high construction costs. Nautico, what will become part of St. Petersburg's 'Aquaplex' district, was supposed to have broken ground last March. The earliest ground will likely break now is March 2007, and it could be 2008 before anyone is living there, said Frank Maggio, CEO."

"'Long gone are the days when you could put up a circus tent, have a couple people juggling balls and some expensive hors d'oeuvres, and walk away with $20 million worth of presales,' Maggio said. Nautico was expected to hit its presale threshold to begin building by this month, but he said potential homebuyer traffic is only a third of what was projected."

"Nautico isn't the only property affected. 'Any project that requires presales is hindered,' Maggio said. 'I'm hearing that everywhere.'"

"Foreclosure paperwork began on 156 homes along the Treasure Coast last month. In St. Lucie County, 77 homes were in foreclosure proceedings in June, the most on the Treasure Coast. Martin County had 47 properties registered."

"Jerry Mabus, president of the Realtors Association of St. Lucie County, said, 'Some speculators came in with the intent of flipping, but now they are just walking away from them.'"

"Brad Hunter of Metrostudy, said the report is a reflection of the creative financing made available to those who over stretched themselves financially and bought a house in late 2005. 'This upward trend of foreclosures is occurring because some people bought homes they had no business buying,' Hunter said. 'People that bought near the peak of the market on an adjustable rate (mortgage) are getting squeezed out of their homes now.'"

"Foreclosure filings in Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie counties jumped in June as rising mortgage costs and skyrocketing insurance rates combined to squeeze homeowners' wallets. Palm Beach County also is notorious for overzealous homeowner associations, Jim Sahnger said. 'In some cases, I have seen up to 35 percent of some properties being foreclosed on by the homeowner association,' Sahnger said. 'Many of them have pretty short fuses.'"

From Florida Today. "Holiday Builders has cut jobs, and Mercedes Homes indicated it is considering it, as Brevard County's two largest homebuilders move to contain costs amid a slowing housing market."

"Industry officials are bracing for an impact. 'New construction for 2006 is leveling off from the boom in recent years,' said Jade Bulecza, a spokeswoman for the Florida Home Builders Association in Tallahassee. 'The real estate market is going to come in for a landing. It's just a question of whether it's going to be bumpy or soft.'"