HOUSING NUMBERS IN THE AREA MIXED

HOME SALES IN THE AREA WERE UP BUT PRICES WERE MIXED IN AUGUST ACCORDING THE NUMBERS RELEASED BY FLORIDA REALTORS.  IN SARASOTA COUNTY, WHICH INCLUDES THE CITY OF VENICE, SALES WERE UP 11% IN AUGUST FROM LAST YEAR, BUT THE MEDIAN PRICE FOR HOMES SOLD WAS $150,300 DOLLARS, OFF MORE THAN $14,000 FROM A YEAR AGO AND JUST $6000 ABOVE THE BOTTOM OF $144,000 THAT WAS SET IN FEBRUARY OF 2009.  THE NUMBERS IN CHARLOTTE COUNTY ARE A LITTLE BETTER, AS HOME SALES WERE UP ABOUT 2% WHILE THE MEDIAN PRICE WAS $101,800, UP NEARLY $8000 OVER JULY BUT DOWN $1500 FROM A YEAR AGO.  STATEWIDE, SALES OF HOMES WERE UP 3% FROM JULY AND ABOUT 1% FROM AUGUST OF 2009.  THE MEDIAN PRICE OF A HOME SOLD IN THE STATE WAS $134,000 DOLLARS, WHICH WAS MORE THAN $12,000 OR 9% LOWER THAN LAST YEAR.  THE BLAME ON THE VOLATILITY OF THE HOUSING MARKET CONTINUES TO LIE IN FORECLOSURES AS MOST ANALYSTS BELIEVE THERE WILL CONTINUE TO BE A FLOOD OF THOSE HOMES FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.