After a brief dip in October, home sales in southwest Florida returned to its upward trajectory last month despite national sales dropping to their lowest rates in a year-and-a-half. Real estate agents are confident that 2015 will break last year’s record-setting numbers, with only 370 sales needed this month in the Sarasota-Manatee market to top 2014’s total. Single-family home sales actually dropped 2.4 percent in Charlotte County last month, but the median price rose 14.3 percent to just under $173,000 due to shrinking inventory. Condo sales jumped 22.4 percent in Charlotte County at an average price $140,000 each.
