The Real Story: More Woe at St. Joe

Shares of all homebuilders have been pounded like cheap beer at a fraternity house, but St. Joe (JOE Quote) stands out from the group -- and not in a good way.

St. Joe operates mainly in northwest Florida, which had seen a boom in development with buyers and visitors drawn to the pristine beaches on the Gulf of Mexico. St. Joe hoped that demand would continue, as it sold homes away from the beach and even in the woods. To put it plainly, it ain't happening, judging by recent events at a few St. Joe developments.

St. Joe was scheduled to release 12 condo units to the public last week in its Watersound Beach development. However, the sale was postponed, according to a St. Joe sales associate. The sales office does not yet have a date when the release will take place and was not given a reason for the delay.

It was due to a lack of demand, according to a real estate agent in the area, who requested anonymity, as he primarily sells St. Joe properties and is in litigation with the company. There are currently 52 St. Joe condos at Watersound up for resale, providing competition to the 12 new ones the company planned to sell. ...