Bigger parades coming to town this year

Every year in the spring, homebuilders host a parade of homes. It's an opportunity for builders to showcase model homes and the public is invited to ogle the latest features.

But during the real estate collapse, the parades were mostly low-key affairs as the number of model homes shrank with the recession. Traffic slowed to a trickle as homebuyers pulled away from the market.

Today, the parades are growing. It's another good sign that the region's economy is bouncing back.

In the Naples area, the Collier Building Industry Association says there are 48 model homes in the parade this year, a 66% increase from last year's 29.

The 2013 Tampa Bay Parade of Homes has 115 model homes open for two weeks. That's a 30% increase in the number of homes from last year and more than double the 51 homes in 2010, according to the Tampa Bay Builders Association.

The Lee Building Industry Association reports a 45% increase in the number of homes in the parade this year to 61 compared with 2012. And the Home Builders Association Manatee-Sarasota reports a 10% increase in the number of model homes in its parade to 66.