Sarasota-Bradenton sales buck national and statewide trends [South Florida]

Sarasota-Bradenton sales buck national and statewide trends [South Florida]

Sarasota-Bradenton was a bright spot in an otherwise dismal national and state real estate market during March.

While national sales of single-family homes fell 13 percent and statewide sales dropped by an even larger 28 percent, Sarasota-Bradenton saw a 16 percent increase last month compared with March 2006. Panama City was the only other Florida market to increase.

Sarasota-Bradenton’s gains raised the much-invited prospect that at least a part of Southwest Florida might be shaking off the hangover brought on by back-to-back years of a surging real estate market.

“There’s no such thing as a national market,” said Joe Hembree, president of the Sarasota Association of Realtors. “Most of the U.S. had inclement weather this winter — especially the Northeast and Midwest. You don’t look for a new home in the middle of a snow storm.”