The newspapers would have you believe in gloom, gloomier, gloomiest – yet April saw a record condo sale of  $4,600,000 at The Sandpearl on Clearwater Beach. The 5,283 sq ft condominium sold for $871/sq ft. and is direct gulf front. The number of sales in March and April is less than January and February but that’s more a result of new condos coming on line than the current market. Actually, more condos over $1 Million went to contract in April than in any of the prior three months.

The highest single family home sale this year has been $3.8 Million – significantly less than a 2006 sale for $6,540,000. This year’s record sale, a 3,658 sq ft waterfront home in Belleair sold for $1,039 per sq ft.  The number of sales in April was nearly half of March so the absorption rate nearly doubled – but like the condos, more single family luxury homes went to contract in April than in any of the prior three months.

So, we’re seeing healthy signs in the luxury market, as well as in the overall Pinellas County market. There’s a long way to go, but up is the best direction!