The Pensacola News Journal reports from Florida. "Kay Ford and her husband are rolling the dice for high stakes Saturday. The Birmingham couple will be on Perdido Key, fingers crossed, hoping they made the right decision to put their two condominiums on the 'absolute' auction block."

"'They've been on and off the market so many times, we just thought we'd go with an auction,' Kay Ford said."

"The Fords actually are auctioning three properties, but their Atlantis penthouse overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, and their condo in Legacy Key on Old River, will be absolute. Their third property, also on Perdido Key, also will be auctioned, but with an owner's reserve that sets a minimum bidding price."

"(Auctioneer) William Bone believes an increasing number of resort properties will be going to auction in tough condo markets, like the one gripping many Florida coastal communities. Longtime Perdido Key Realtor Brenda Beumer agrees, saying that absolute auctions are a clear sign of a struggling market."

"'Absolute auctions are extremely symptomatic of a flat market,' said Beumer."

"The condo market on Perdido Key is in a slump, and Beumer said she is starting to see some signs, such as absolute auctions, that owners are willing to bail out of properties at any price."

"'When people got their tax bills this year, they began to realize that they can't afford to hold on to these properties unless something changes,' Beumer said."

"Perdido Key Realtor Debi Freed said absolute auctions are fairly rare, and when she does see them, they often involve owners desperate to sell their property."

"The Fords say that's not the case with their condos. They own several investment properties along the Gulf Coast, including Destin and Orange Beach. They decided it was time to reduce their holdings and hope their luck holds out."

The St Petersburg Times. "Dreary times call for desperate measures. That's why 50 Florida property owners are willing to take an unusual gamble at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino on Saturday."

"Everything from $130,000 condominiums to commercial lots to multimillion-dollar mansions will be for sale to the highest bidders, many of whom will be competing inside a 400-seat casino ballroom at the All In Mega Auction. If all goes as planned, homeowners who have struggled to sell their houses for months will watch them go within six minutes."

"'We've basically created a new medium of bringing sellers and buyers together, making it kind of like a shopping mall for properties,' said Jay Bailey, who is running Saturday's auction. 'It just doesn't make sense to put a sign in the yard anymore.'"

"Angelique Lochridge has been trying to sell her parents' Valrico home for seven months. 'We'd be happy to just sell it for what we owe at this point,' Lochridge said. 'It would be a huge, huge relief to get rid of it.'"

The Herald Tribune. "Sarasota and Manatee home builders have entered 124 residences in the annual Parade of Homes, which begins today. And, despite the cooling of the housing market following the peak of two years ago, only about 20 percent of the models are holdovers from last year."

"One change from years past: the builders haven't had to struggle to complete their models on schedule for the event, said Larry Anderson, VP of the Home Builders Association of Sarasota County. That might be because of the cooling of the housing market. Sarasota County single-family building permits fell from 6,039 in 2005 to 3,369 last year."

"'Is the glass half-full or half-empty?' he asked. 'Compared to last year, obviously we are down. But compared to prior years, we really are in a comparative market to 2003. We would prefer to keep it at this rate and not get into that overheated market. I don't think that serves anyone very well.'"