Venice sales up; North Port down

SARASOTA -- Venice Realtors sold 122 homes in November for an average price of $170,000, according to Michael Saunders & Co.'s Robert Goldman. Prices held steady over the year, but the most recent month's sales total is up more than 40% from 2010.

In North Port, sales fell roughly 5%, from 125 closings in November 2010 to 118 closings in the same month this year. But sale prices rose considerably; the median is up from $76,000 last year to $94,000 this year.

In the last three months, residential closings in Venice increased 16% over the year (September through November of 2011 versus the same months a year ago). In North Port, closings are down 10.5% over the same time frame, according to Goldman's report.