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Florida's Quality of Life Means 'Home Sweet Home,' Says Florida Association of Realtors(R)

"Florida is a great place to live and I feel privileged to call it home," said 2009 Florida Association of Realtors(R)(FAR) President Cynthia Shelton. "There is so much to see, to experience and to enjoy inFlorida, from the distinctive white sugar sand beaches ofDestin in the north, to the family fun offered byOrlando's theme parks and attractions, to the leisurely, laid-back lifestyle in the Keys. Whatever you like to do, you'll find it here inFlorida. We have visitors coming here from around the world to vacation inFlorida. But they only get to sample whatFlorida offers for a brief time; when you're lucky enough to be aFlorida homeowner, there's no end to the possibilities!"

State officials, Florida Realtors(R) and business recruiters agree:Florida's unique quality of life is one of the state's best assets.Enterprise Florida, a public-private partnership devoted to statewide economic development, notes on its Web site (http://www.eflorida.com) many of the amenities found in the Sunshine State.

    --  Florida beaches were awarded more top 10 spots than any other state,
        including the No. 1 beach in the U.S., Caladesi Island State Park, on
        America's Best Beaches list for 2008. This internationally
        recognized ranking by Dr. Stephen P. Leatherman (aka Dr. Beach) is based
        on 50 criteria including number of sunny days, sand softness, algae and
        pollution content, safety record, and more. Leatherman is a Ph.D.
        coastal scientist, professor of environmental studies and director of
        the Laboratory for Coastal Research at Florida International University
        in Miami.
    --  The state's park system, one of the largest in the U.S., has 160
        parks covering more than 700,000 acres and 100 miles of Florida's
        beaches.
    --  Seven of Relocate-America's Top 100 Places to Live in 2008 were
        Florida cities, including one, Flagler Beach, which was named to the Top
        10. These rankings attest to Florida's high quality of life, and
        are based on a combination of economic data and feedback from people who
        live in each area.
    --  In many ways, Florida's cost of living is below that of other
        states with similar economic growth and in-migration rates. For example,
        the state's homeownership rate currently stands at about 70
        percent, well above the national average. And, with data from the
        Florida Association of Realtors showing that $187,800 was the statewide
        median price for an existing home at year-end 2008, housing prices
        compare well to other similar states.
    --  Noted for its outstanding statewide system of trails, Florida was named
        the Best Trails State in America, winning the biennial National Trails
        Award in this past November from the national nonprofit organization
        American Trails.

    --  Five Florida universities were named to the Best Values in Public
        Colleges list for 2009 by Kiplinger's Personal Finance. The schools
        are University of Florida, ranking No. 2 in the nation; New College of
        Florida, No. 8; Florida State University, No. 17; University of Central
        Florida, No. 42; and the University of South Florida, No. 75. Among
        other criteria, these rankings recognize schools with top academics and
        affordable costs.

The Florida Association of Realtors (FAR), the voice for real estate inFlorida, provides programs, services, continuing education, research and legislative representation to its 115,000 members in 67 boards/associations. For more FAR media releases, go to www.media.floridarealtors.org.

SOURCE Florida Association of Realtors