Buyers finding more homes on the market

A sight for sore eyes this spring: more homes for homebuyers.

After two years of wading through picked-over listings, South Florida buyers are celebrating a new batch of well-maintained homes for sale.

Palm Beach County had 27,714 new listings last year, up 16 percent from 2013, according to the Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches. Broward County had 27,940 new listings, up 14 percent from 2013, the Greater Fort Lauderdale Realtors said. Listings also were up in both counties during January.

Real estate agents and analysts say more homeowners are testing the market because higher home values have restored the equity they lost during the housing bust. The changing landscape is giving a boost to the traditional spring selling season.

"It's very refreshing, to tell you the truth," said Judy Trudel, an agent in Broward and Palm Beach counties.

Jason Tornatore is working with Trudel to find a three- or four-bedroom home in Coconut Creek, Lighthouse Point or Fort Lauderdale. He said he had no trouble finding properties in his $350,000 price range.

"Every time we turn around, we're getting inundated with new listings," said Tornatore, 37, an insurance claims adjuster who recently signed a contract on a Fort Lauderdale house. "Just within the last two weeks, stuff is flying onto the market. Getting what you want is a lot easier these days."

Karen Lilly, a renter in Parkland, started looking in January for properties to buy. Within a few weeks, she found a four-bedroom home in Heron Bay. Built in 2013, it's move-in ready, with marble floors and impact-resistant windows. Lilly expects to close the deal April 15.

"I didn't want to rent forever," she said. "I looked at a bunch of different homes, and it was pretty quick."

When prices bottomed in late 2011, investors flooded the market looking for the best deals. That led to a slew of sales that eventually depleted the supply of homes. In late 2012 and 2013, buyers struggled to find quality listings, with many of the available homes vacant or in need of major repairs.

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Buyers finding more homes on the market