The Palm Beach Post reports from Florida. "Plans to sell the historic Gulfstream Polo Club to housing developers have collapsed. Westbrooke Homes terminated its contract to buy 221 acres for $66.5 million. Land speculator Brian Tuttle also wants to back away from buying another 212 acres of Gulfstream horse farms at prices negotiated before the downturn in the housing market began."

"'We're renegotiating our whole idea because of the housing market and Westbrooke not closing on its land,' Tuttle confirmed last week. 'Land prices have deteriorated.'"

The News Press. "Page Mobile Village sits vacant and bedraggled, now the owners have put the Fort Myers landmark up for sale. Cornerstone representatives had discussions with city officials about building a town-home project on the property but there hasn’t been any progress lately, said Maureen Lund, the city’s development services manager. 'It looks like they went away' before getting permission to build the community."

"Tom Birch of Birch Co., which is marketing the property, said Cornerstone’s original plans were a victim of the downturn in the demand for housing. 'With the change in the residential market the way it is, that’s not salable and they’ve changed direction,' he said."

From TC Palm. "Indian River County commissioners opened a public hearing on Tuesday on the 462-acre Sexton family ranch. The county's proposed purchase would buy the owners' rights to develop the land for non-agricultural operations such as housing developments."

"The county's appraisals are a year old, created at a time of escalated property values. Now development has slowed, potentially affecting the appraisals, said Commissioner Joseph Flescher. The appraisals said the property was worth $22.19 million, or $48,000 an acre last year. The development rights were worth $19.87 million, or $43,000 an acre, said Chief County Environmental Planner Roland DeBlois."

"The Sexton family's own appraisal is $14 million for the development rights, said family member Sean Sexton."

"The county and Sexton family negotiated the price of $12 million. Sexton wouldn't comment on whether the family would settle for less. 'We would have to talk about that,' he said. 'I can't speak for everyone.'"

The Tallahassee Democrat. "The St. Joe Co. called it reorganization, but to about 50 Tallahassee employees, it felt like being fired when the office was closed abruptly around mid-day Tuesday."

"'A very talented group of people were let go today by a good company,' said Erin Ennis, who until Tuesday was a St. Joe Co. vice president in Tallahassee."

"'I think they overbuilt,' Tallahassee Mayor John Marks said, referring to the SouthWood development."

The Sun Sentinel. "The honeymoon may be over for retailers in South Florida, thanks to the slow housing market. The National Retail Federation's chief economist, Rosalind Wells, said the tides may have changed for South Florida. 'It can't boom forever,' Wells said. 'Maybe it's going through a correction.'"

"Sales of existing single-family homes in Broward County dropped 23 percent compared with November 2005, according the most recent figures by the Florida Association of Realtors. In neighboring Palm Beach County, sales were down 45 percent in the same period."

"The slowdown in the national housing market will undoubtedly continue to have an impact on furniture and home improvement stores, Wells said, noting those retailers are 'at the mercy of the cycle.'"

The Herald Tribune. "Facing mounting debts, vicious overseas competition and a downturn in the residential housing market, one of Southwest Florida's largest manufacturers appears to have melted down."

"With debts of nearly $5 million, CFI Manufacturing-Carter Grandle Furniture last week filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection from its creditors. It has shed all but eight of its more than 100 workers."

"The last year, the already embattled industry was hit by the precipitous slowdown in new home construction, a key source of demand. 'It is usually the first to be impacted after a housing industry slowdown, and that's one of the triggering factors in this case,' said Benjamin Martin, the bankruptcy attorney for Carter Grandle."

"CFI might be a poster child for how fast things can change in the global economy. Just last year economic development gurus in Manatee County were pointing to it as a prototype for type of industries they wanted to lure to Southwest Florida."

The Associated Press. "Tourism experts say many of these snowbirds are shortening their stays. Rental rates have risen to keep up with spiraling property insurance rates from recent hurricanes, pricing some retirees out of the market."

"'We're 98 percent booked for February and March, but booked about 75 percent for January, which is very unusual,' said Lisa Durgin, a Cocoa Beach-based Realtor who rents to snowbirds. Durgin said this January is among the slowest she has seen."

"In Brevard County, for example, a study found that the number of snowbirds fell nearly 9 percent to 27,600 in 2005 from 30,300 in 2003. Abraham Pizam, dean of the Rosen School of Hospitality Management at the University of Central Florida, said that snowbirds have been stricken with 'Florida fatigue.'"

"Business are feeling the crunch, said Rob Varley, executive director of the Space Coast Office of Tourism. 'The season is shorter, and the part-time residents are not coming as soon, either,' Varley said."