We are finding a significant increase in owners wanting to listtheir acreage. More flexibility regarding valuations and lowerinterest rates are making it easier for additional players toobtain financing for new acquisitions.

There remains a large number of single-family lots and homes yetto be absorbed surrounding Tampa Bay. However, the entitlementprocess for some tracts takes months, if not years, and now is thetime for owners to put their acreage back in play.

With increased single-family inventory, rising gas prices andcost-of-living factors, we are seeing a real push to the rentalside from the ownership side. Four thousand multifamily units areunder construction or proposed for the Tampa Bay area over the nexttwo years. Hotels have seen an increase in room rates due to thevast new offerings attracting greater numbers of visitors to theTampa Bay area. With more significant sports, entertainment eventsand convention traffic coming to town, most notably Super BowlXLIII, the Jungala addition to Busch Gardens and five new andexpanded Bay area museums, there is a greater need each year formore hotel rooms.