Realtors will open doors to homeownership this weekend through thousands of open houses being held across the state as part of Florida Open House Weekend, March 26-27, sponsored by Florida Realtors.

“This exciting event will help homebuyers find their Florida dream home,” says 2011 Florida Realtors President Patricia Fitzgerald. “On March 26 and 27, people have a chance to conveniently see many homes for sale in communities throughout the state. With very low mortgage rates and a range of housing options at affordable prices, now is a great time to become a Florida homeowner.”

To find participating open houses, buyers should look for blue balloons featuring the distinctive Realtor “R” logo in white. Florida Realtors distributed 50,000 of those balloons, which will be on display simultaneously at open houses from the Panhandle to Key West as part of Florida Open House Weekend. Realtors will be available at the participating open houses to help consumers find out more about each home, as well as answer questions about the local housing market.

During the first Florida Open House Weekend last April, more than 15,000 open houses were held across the state. This year’s statewide open house, the largest event of its kind, is the culmination of statewide Welcome Home Week, March 21-27 – a celebration of the benefits of homeownership.

To learn more about Welcome Home Week, go to http://floridarealtors.org/WelcomeHomeWeek. For more on Florida Open House Weekend, go to http://floridarealtors.org/openhouse.