Fort Myers home prices jump 21%

FORT MYERS — The median home price of an existing single-family home surged 21% in November as second-home buyers entered the market.

The median price of an existing single-family home in Fort Myers rose to $170,000, up 21.4% compared with $140,000 in November 2012. November's median price was also 8.3% higher than October's price of $157,000 as second-home buyers sought out pricier properties.

“In fact, 43.5% of total single-family homes sold were above the $200,000 price point,” says Doreen Falcone, president of the Realtor Association of Greater Fort Myers and the Beach, in a statement with the housing data. “It's clear that these were not first-time buyers entering our market.”

In addition to the overall median-price increase, each property type posted year-over-year price increases in November. Traditional properties jumped 23.9%, while the median price of foreclosures rose 18.2% and short sales increased 7.8%.

“It would appear that the cold weather in the Midwest and Northeast sent new buyers to our area,” Falcone says in the statement.