Sarasota scorches monthly real estate sales

December was a hot month for Sarasota County real estate.

There were 920 total sales in the county in the month, according to the Sarasota Association of Realtors, a 16.9% increase compared with 787 total sales in November. The total, a split of 621 single-family home sales 299 condos, also bested the 906 sales countywide in December 2012. The strong sales month also capped a solid year: There were 11,184 home sales in the county in 2013, according to the association, the second-best year on record.

“Overall, December 2013 was a great month for real estate in our market,” SAR President Peter Crowley says in the release. “Many of our winter residents and visitors seem to have turned their attention to buying and selling homes. This could be partially attributed to the recent news that predicts increases in mortgage interest rates in 2014. Also, as homeowners see their properties appreciating in value, many are no longer under water and are now able to put their homes on the market.”

Median prices are also on the upswing, the association reports. For example, single-family home prices in December rose 15.1% compared with December 2012, from $165,000 to $189,950. The median condo sale price jumped up too, from $165,100 in December 2012 to $182,000 in December, a 10.2% increase.