CASH IS STILL KING. 

FLORIDA LEADING THE WAY

Approximately six out of 10 Palm Beach County buyers paid cash in the third quarter, down slightly from a year ago but still well above the national average of 33.9 percent, according to RealtyTrac, a foreclosure listing firm based in Irvine, Calif.

Fort Myers, Sarasota, Tampa-St. Petersburg and Melbourne ranked right behind South Florida in percentage of cash sales among metro areas nationwide. Florida led all states at 53.5 percent.

With loans harder to come by after the housing bust, cash purchases have propped up the region's housing market. Because of the uncertainty of buyers qualifying for mortgages, sellers are more likely to accept offers that don't require financing.

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