The Star Banner reports from Florida. "At the start of 2006, realtors, builders and county officials extolled Marion County's white-hot housing market. But as the year drew to a close, there was an ominous forecast that the local home building boom was headed for a bust."

"A report released earlier this month by a consultant hired by the Ocala/Marion County Economic Development Corp., said the county's construction levels would drop by 50 percent during the next two years and tumble back to 2001 numbers. 'Real buyers just aren't out there to justify the construction,' said Policom President William Fruth. '[Previous] construction levels just aren't sustainable.'"

"After the building frenzy of the last few years, contractors and Realtors found themselves in a market flooded with inventory. 'There are quite a few incentives being offered, now that we have more inventory here,' Wilbur Van Wyck, president of the Ocala/Marion County Association of Realtors said. 'Negotiability is back.'"

"'I don't question the 50 percent [construction decrease],' said County Commission Chairman Stan McClain, a local home builder. '[Other builders] are telling me their numbers are way off, too. It's a bust.'"

The Bradenton Herald. "Developers of the SevenShores condominium project on Perico Island have dropped starting prices on their units by about $60,000. But representatives of St. Joe Co., the company building the 13 condominium buildings on 353 acres fronting the Intracoastal Waterway, deny the reduction in price has anything to do with concerns about a slowing condominium and housing market."

"The lower prices resulted from a dip in construction materials, they maintain. 'We have adjusted our prices and that price adjustment was due to our ability to work with our (general contractor) and subcontractors, and they experienced price reductions,' said Joe Romanowski, sales and project manager for the Seven Shores development."

"When St. Joe first announced prices for SevenShores in May, units started in the $700,000s. A few months later, Romanowski amended the prices to the low $600,000s. Those units now are being offered for $534,900."

"'Those (construction) bids came in lower and we were then able to recapture that $500,000 price-point that we wanted to have in the first place,' Romanowski said. 'That re-pricing was not due to softness in the market.'"

"Ken Simonson, chief economist for The Associated General Contractors of America, said the decline for the period was a modest 0.2 percent, compared to a year-over-year increase of 6.5 percent for construction materials."

"But even with reduced unit prices, the developers of SevenShores have only received commitments on nine of 40 units in the project's first building. St. Joe has been accepting contracts for about seven months. 'Nine of our most expensive units,' Jerry Ray is quick to add."

The Herald Tribune. "State Sen. Mike Bennett's decision to back off buying the Two Rivers mobile home park on the banks of the Braden River has come as a relief to park residents. As to why he decided to abandon his purchase of Two Rivers, Bennett said he simply could not make the numbers work. So he walked away without losing any money."

"'Everything is kind of quiet,' said Lois Brown, who has lived in the park for seven years. 'They say the park is not for sale any more, and I think we'll be all right until condos start booming again.'"