Thriving Housing Market Buoys Florida Economy.

Jun. 9--For home buyers, builders and residential brokers, things could hardly look better.

While the rest of the economy tanked in 2001, the housing market continued to thrive as Americans took advantage of low interest rates and bought a record number of single-family homes.

For the nation, and here in Florida, the housing market buoyed the economy as technology firms, manufacturers, retailers, tourism companies and Wall Street foundered.

In the Tampa Bay area, buyers bought 29,771 existing single-family homes in 2001, breaking the 28,252-home sales record set in 2000, says the Florida Association of Realtors.

The U.S. housing market doesn't appear ready to fade any time soon. Economists and housing experts say the strong sales trend is far from over, …