FUELED BY THE END OF THE FEDERAL TAX CREDIT AND THE SLOW SUMMER SEASON, HOME SALES FELL IN JULY IN THE SOUTHWEST PLEX BUT WERE UP FOR THE QUARTER THAT ENDED IN JUNE. ACCORDING TO STATISTICS RELEASED BY FLORIDA REALTORS, JULY HOME SALES WERE OFF BY 24% FROM JUNE AND 7% FROM JULY OF 2009 IN THE CHARLOTTE COUNTY MARKET, WHICH INCLUDES NORTH PORT. DESPITE THOSE FIGURES, SALES FOR THE SECOND QUARTER WERE UP 12% FROM LAST YEAR AND NEARLY 20% FROM THE FIRST QUARTER. HOME PRICES WERE DOWN 1% FROM THE SAME TIME LAST YEAR, BUT UP MORE THAN 4% FROM THE FIRST QUARTER. IN THE SARASOTA/BRADENTON MARKET, WHICH INCLUDES VENICE, SECOND QUARTER HOME SALES WERE UP 21% FROM LAST YEAR AND 33% FOR THE FIRST QUARTER. HOME PRICES WERE NEARLY FLAT FROM LAST YEAR BUT UP MORE THAN 5% FROM THE FIRST QUARTER IN SARASOTA/BRADENTON.
