Although the sunshine state has seen some clouds and rain in the real estate arena, it continues to be a great land of investment opportunities.  Seasoned investors are still flocking to the available real estate in Florida’s flooded housing market, but there is still room for more.  Why now you might ask? From lucrative values and leverage to great schools and even better taxes, but more importantly, Florida real estate is big business when prices are this low, interest rates are this low and the risks are minimal.
A great return value is what makes a lucrative investment, but most people don’t believe that Florida homes for sale will offer much in return value.  This couldn’t be further from the truth.  As a matter of fact, the huge inventory of Florida REO properties and Florida foreclosure are actually ensuring reaching a great return on investment for investors and home buyers alike.  Because you can buy properties at rock bottom prices and generally do low cost upgrades and maintenance, you keep your buying dollars down.  Then when you are ready to sell, granted you will probably want to wait at least a year or more to sell, you are going to see a big jump in the home’s value. 
Does this contradict what you have been hearing? Really, it shouldn’t.  If you look at the bottom line numbers in Florida, home sales are on the rise again.  It is a slow rise, but they are at least in an upward motion compared to one or two years ago.  In addition, lenders are now raising interest rates instead of lowering them.  Again, the rise is not huge, but they are no longer going down, down, down.  This also emphasizes that the time in Florida is now.
In addition, the Florida real estate market is offers pre-construction investment programs that allow investors to buy properties that are still under construction.  This means that you can buy into properties at their current level of construction or unfinished.  Properties of this nature are only going to go up in value as the structure is finished. 
Now, past all the fluff and onto the real skinny.  Florida real estate allows buyers to use properties for comfortable living or for leasing and rental income.  The market right now is not great for flipping, because it is so saturated with available properties.  And although you may be able to make your property outshine the others on the block, the prices you will have to beat in resale are going to be pretty tough-at least for the next two years. 
So, why Florida? Because of its climate and attractions, Florida will forever be a popular location for seasonal and year round living.  And with tourism comes jobs, with jobs come businesses and soon enough you have a prospering town year round and a recovering economy.  Why now? Because Florida real estate is already on the rebound.  Yes, it is hard to see right now, but if you look at the numbers they have moved in the direction of recovery.  Those who wait, may be too late.