ORLANDO-Florida may be saddled with unknowns in the areas of property insurance, taxes and hometown democracy–the amendment that calls for all citizens to vote for any change to the comprehensive land-use plan. But Central Florida area is ripe for the commercial real estate industry, according to experts at the RealShare Central Florida conference, held at the Gaylord Palms in Orlando.

More than 300 commercial practitioners attended the RealShare Central Florida conference. The RealShare Series is produced by Real Estate Media, publisher of GlobeSt.com, Real Estate Forum and Real Estate Florida.From the popularity and success of mixed-use development and continued population growth to the green building movement and low unemployment rates, commercial opportunities flourish. “The market will rise slowly, and we're not in as dire a situation as some have predicted,” said Sean Snaith, director of the Institute of Economic Competitiveness at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. “Central Florida has job growth and personal income growth,” he says.

In addition, Snaith says that net population will continue to grow, with Orlando being the top area in the state for job growth by 2010. “It's amazing the number of bioscience companies we're seeing move to Florida,” says Larry Richey, senior managing director, Cushman & Wakefield, Orlando and Tampa.