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Florida's Housing Market Continues To Climb

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TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami) -- Governor Rick Scott announced August was another strong month for the state's growing housing market.

Florida saw a rise in median prices, more pending sales and a nearly 9 percent growth in closed sales of existing single-family homes.

On Friday, Governor Scott attributed much of the success to a rise in population and efforts to reduce taxes.

"Our work to cut taxes and create a business friendly environment is creating jobs and attracting more families to Florida because there are so many opportunities for success. Last year, more than 250,000 people moved to Florida, making our state the third biggest state in the nation - bigger than New York. We want Florida to be the first in the nation for families to succeed, and our growing housing market means more families are having the dream of home ownership come true in the Sunshine State," Gov. Scott said in a press release.

In August, pending sales rose 1.2 percent and the time homes spent on the market dropped by more than 18 percent.

"The continued strength of the housing market is great news for Floridians. Indicators such as increased closed sales and higher median sales prices show that Florida's economy as a whole is benefitting from the Scott Administration's pro-growth policies," said Florida Dept. of Economic Opportunity Director Jesse Panuccio.

Across the state, the average price for a home rose to $199,000, up more than 11 percent from 2014. Townhouses and condos were up more than 10 percent to $150,000.

August also marked the 44th consecutive month that Florida home prices have gone up. And it's 50 straight months for townhouse-condo properties.

Related Story: Seniors Line Up For Shot At Affordable Housing

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