The Palm Beach Post reports from Florida. "Palm Beach County Property Appraiser Gary Nikolits said homeowners shouldn't expect their tax assessments to fall this year. The slumping housing market has caused prices to plateau, not plummet, with exceptions such as downtown West Palm Beach's condo market."

"'There are pockets in this county that have seen significant decreases in market values, particularly in those areas that have been overdeveloped with condominiums and townhouse projects,' Nikolits said."

The Naples News. "Builders in unincorporated Lee County, Bonita Springs and Fort Myers Beach pulled 318 permits for single-family houses in March, 62 percent less than in March 2006."

"Right now, 'We’re at beginning of 2003 levels, but in 2003 it picked up toward the end of the year,' said Mary Gibbs, head of community development."

"Underlying the lower numbers, said Michael Reitmann, executive VP of the Lee Building Industry Association, is the huge inventory of homes for sale, which makes it less attractive for developers to build new ones."

The Ledger. "The local economy just couldn't gain much ground in February. Building permits and home sales continued their downward trend, according to The Ledger's monthly Polk County Business Barometer."

"In housing, the county's 347 permits for new home construction fell 71 percent from 1,191 permits in February 2006. Existing home sales totaled 334 houses in February, falling 25 percent from 447 homes the year before. Lakeland had 197 homes sold, a decrease of 28 percent from 272 sales last year, while East Polk had 130 homes sell, an 18 percent drop from the prior year."

"Bartow recorded seven homes sold, compared to 16 sales the year before."

The Sun Sentinel. "Liz Randall says she is eager to buy a Lake Mary home that's on the market for $419,000. But she doesn't plan to make a move until another deal is reached at Florida's Capitol.'

"'I'm going to wait and see what happens with the state Legislature and property taxes,' said Randall."

"Real-estate brokers in Central Florida say the Legislature's ongoing effort to overhaul the property-tax system is having its own dampening effect on a housing market already staggering from a glut of inventory."

"Those in the real-estate business say such indecision is causing market uncertainty that could worsen, especially with speculation rising that a special session might be needed for lawmakers to winnow down the wide-ranging ideas now in play."

"'The way things are going, I wouldn't want to sell my house right now,' said Senator Steve Geller of Hallandale Beach."

"Mary Ann Sigurdson, a Casselberry loan officer, said she sees the effect of the property-tax debate every day, with clients once eager to buy now getting cold feet. 'We're finding that you can't close a deal,' said Sigurdson."

"The Orlando Regional Realtor Association reported last month that the number of homes and condominiums sold in the region fell in February by nearly 39 percent from the same month a year ago. Listings by local agents also grew that month to an all-time high of 22,055."

Tampa Bay's News 10. "Jennifer Beheler has lived in her house ever since she had her first child, But between the cost of insurance, property taxes and the mortgage it's a struggle, 'Our payments have almost doubled in fact they have doubled since we moved in.' She may lose her home."

"Jennifer's not the only one having trouble holding on to her home. Foreclosures increased by 80-percent in Florida since last year. And around the bay it's the same situation."

"Polk increased by 55%. Hillsborough 76%. Pinellas 79%. Pasco 111%. Sarasota/Manatee 182%. Lee County had the highest increase since last year at 376-percent."

The Herald Tribune. "In Florida the furniture industry is in one of its ugliest downturns in years. The housing boom that fueled huge sales at some furniture stores has turned into a housing bust, and some longtime furniture chains are shutting down or packing up and fleeing the state."

"Spectrum Home Furnishings shut its eight stores from Sarasota to Naples in the fall after more than 20 years in business. Modernage on Florida's east coast is holding a 'Save Our Stores' survival sale but warns it may close."

"Everyone agrees that the housing slowdown is causing ripples across the Florida economy, and furniture stores are feeling it worse than most. In Florida, sales of existing single-family homes fell 23 percent in February compared with February 2006. Sales of existing condos fell 28 percent, according to the Florida Association of Realtors."

"The developers behind City Marketplace, the 520,000-square-foot hotel, retail and residential project planned for downtown Punta Gorda, are heading back to the drawing board."

"Changing market conditions, namely the huge slowdown in Southwest Florida's condominium and residential housing market, has prompted developers to rethink the design and makeup of the project."

"'The market has changed. The concept we had before, we had to design the whole thing and build it at once,' said Ron Oskey Jr., head of the Charlotte County Development Corp. 'Now phasing is really important.'"

The Times Union. "Brooklyn Park, a heavily anticipated development on Riverside Avenue, is significantly changing its focus, transforming from a residential neighborhood to a retail-heavy project designed to be a destination for nearby residents."

"The switch comes as Jacksonville's housing market has cooled off substantially. The number of condominiums sold by Realtors in Jacksonville fell 42 percent in February when compared to February of last year, according to the Florida Association of Realtors."

"'The slowness in the housing market forced us to look at what other options were out there,' said Miles vice president of development Jason Perry. 'We like to get in and get out, not wait around for pre-sales.'"

The St Petersburg Times. "Richmond American Homes has pulled out of a contract to develop 85 lakeside homes on Lake Patience Road."

"'We're not involved in that project any more,' said Michael Murphy, who handles land sales at Richmond American. 'The development cost just became too high. The deal just didn't work for us.'"

"The pullouts came amid signs that the housing market still has not bottomed out. Inventories grow. Tampa Bay area home sales still struggle, falling 23 percent in February compared with a year earlier, according to the Florida Association of Realtors."

"Recent problems in the subprime mortgage market, which lent to high-risk home buyers, have sparked a wave of foreclosures and hundreds of lost jobs at Tampa mortgage firms."

"Developers have apparently tapped the brakes on even big projects like the 5,000-acre Wiregrass Ranch in Wesley Chapel."

"As if last year's dismal market performance wasn't bad enough, the number of residential permits issued in Pasco County continues to slide this year."

"Pasco sent out 552 permits in the benchmark category up to April this year, compared with 1,870 this time last year. Foreclosure suits rose 87 percent last year in the county."