Sales of single-family homes in Charlotte County increased in March while inventory declined, signaling a shift away from a buyer’s market, according to a monthly update from Brian Helgemo of the Helgemo Team at Compass.
“All three pricing indicators — median sold, average sold, and average price per square foot — are appreciating 6-month trends, and the absorption rate based on closed sales jumped 64.4% year over year to 19.9%. The market is clearly tightening,” Helgemo wrote.
Data from Realtors of Punta Gorda-Port Charlotte-North Port-DeSoto Inc. show 587 single-family homes sold in March, up from 434 in February. Prices also rose, with the median sale price increasing to $355,000 from $350,000 and the average sale price climbing to $441,635 from $431,561.
Brian Helgemo
Compass Real Estate
Inventory levels moved in the opposite direction. Active listings fell to 3,010 homes in March, down from 3,083 in February and 26.9% lower than a year earlier. As a result, the months’ supply of inventory dropped to 6.4 months from 6.7 months in February, a 34.7% year-over-year decline.
Closed sales were up 22.8% compared with March 2025, helping push the market toward more balanced conditions. Helgemo said the county’s housing market is now “squarely in neutral territory.”
A balanced market typically has about five to six months of supply. When inventory rises above six to seven months, conditions generally favor buyers due to excess supply.
Spring is traditionally a busy homebuying season, particularly for families seeking to relocate before the start of the school year, Realtors said.
The condo and townhouse market also showed gains in March, though it remains weaker than the single-family segment.
There were 135 closed condo and townhouse sales in March, up from 128 in February. The median price rose to $268,000 from $242,500, while the average price increased to $284,401 from $253,615.
Inventory in the condo and townhouse segment tightened, as well, with a nine-month supply, down from 9.4 months in February and 36.6% lower than a year earlier.
Despite those improvements, condos and townhomes continue to lag single-family homes, as higher homeowners association fees and rising insurance costs, driven in part by storm damage from hurricanes Ian, Helene and Milton, weigh on buyer demand.