Looking For A Deal: Tampa, FL

The latest reports all seem to agree: if you're searching for property in Tampa, luck is on your side.

One of the biggest reasons the "steals" are in Tampa all relate to a simple supply and demand equation. Too many listed homes for sale, and not enough buyers means that if you're looking for that "perfect price" you've got the upper hand in the Sunshine State.Want all-new appliances or $20,000 knocked off the asking price before you sign? Chances are, sellers in Tampa will be willing to comply.

The same can be said for Minneapolis, Miami and Kansas City, Mo. All three, like Tampa, currently favor buyers, thanks to an overabundance of supply and low sales rates.The easiest way to judge our list is to examine the area's housing supply vs. demand.

A good measurement for sales price to inventory ratio?

Take the current rate of sales and figure out how long it would take to burn off the excess inventory at that rate.If that measure is low, houses are selling quickly. If it's high, houses are waiting on the market and prices can often be bargained down.To determine which of the country's real-estate markets most benefit buyers, we looked at data from Moody's Economy.com and the National Association of Realtors. We tracked excess inventory and the change in sales rate over the past year to gauge the relative tightening or loosening of the market. Then a measure of price stability was applied to prevent the list from being a rundown of sinking ships.