February 2012 saw real estate Tampa soaring in terms of sales and price month over month. Sales volume increased by 12.8 percent from 1,402 units in January to 1,581 units in February. The average sales price increased by 5.2 percent from $143,722 in January to $151,158 in February. The average listing price also increased, as sellers knew the price effect of the diminishing inventory of Tampa homes for sale.
Year over year, average listing and sales prices in February also increased. The average listing price rose by 10.8 percent from $143,685 in February 2011 to $159,147 in February this year and
the average sales price rose by 11.5 percent from $135,543 to $151,158.
The February sales volume also gave a much-need big boost to real estate Tampa, in light of the big month-over-month drop in sales in January 2012. In February, a total of 1,581 homes were sold, marking a nearly 13-percent improvement from the 1,402 sales volume in January.
In summary, here are the figures:
Month Over Month Change in Average Sales Price:
| January 2012 | February 2012 | Increase Rate |
| $143,722 | $151,158 | 5.2% |
Year over Year Change in Average Sales Price:
| February 2011 | February 2012 | Increase Rate |
| $135,543 | $151,158 | 11.5% |
Month Over Month Change in Number of Homes Sold:
| January 2012 | February 2012 | Increase Rate |
| 1,402 | 1,581 | 12.8% |
The number of available homes for sale in Tampa decreased again in February, continuing the declining trend of housing inventory since September 2008. In February, the number of Tampa homes for sale dropped to 8,503 units, marking a 12.2-percent decrease from the previous month’s total of 9,682 available units and a 45.8-percent drop from the total inventory of 15,678 homes 12 months prior.
The February 2012 inventory of 8,503 homes was also almost just a third of the five-year peak housing inventory of 22,028 reached in May 2007. This continued decline in available homes for sale in Tampa can be good for the market because it pushes up home prices, enhances the value of real estate Tampa and helps facilitate housing recovery. It can also encourage home builders to build more new homes and create more jobs, which are what are needed for a sustained economic recovery.