A Charlotte County home listed by The Helgemo Team illustrates the local housing market as available inventory declines. Charlotte County had 2,449 single-family homes in inventory in June, down from 2,789 in May.
The Helgemo Team
Prices for single-family homes in Charlotte County continued to show strength in June as shrinking inventory pushed the market slightly in sellers’ favor.
The county had 5.1 months of housing inventory in June, down from 5.9 months in May, according to Realtors of Punta Gorda-Port Charlotte-North Port-DeSoto Inc.
Economists generally consider 5.5 months of inventory a balanced market, favoring neither buyers nor sellers, according to the Realtors association. Anything above that level favors buyers, while anything below it favors sellers.
The median sale price reached $360,000 in June, up 7.5% from a year earlier and from $351,000 in May.
The average sale price was $431,485, up 4.2% year over year but little changed from $439,145 in May. The June average was more than $71,000 higher than the median price.
Analysts generally favor the median over the average when measuring home prices because unusually expensive sales can skew the average. But the gap between the two measures can also provide insight into activity at the higher end of the market.
July data from the Realtors association won’t be available until later in August.
Realtor Brian Helgemo of The Helgemo Team | Compass said in his July market forecast that active inventory was down 31.5% from a year earlier and 9.7% from the previous month.
That trend continued into the second week of August.
“We are observing a decrease in properties available, as well as a decrease in pending sales this August,” Helgemo said. “However, we saw notable increased market activity throughout the summer year over year.”
Helgemo said the single-family home market remains at or near neutral even as inventory tightens and homes continue to spend a relatively long time on the market.
“I think this is connected to the summer cycle we are currently in,” he said. “The slow swing back to a neutral market began a few months ago, and we’ve continued to see inventory tighten. The foundation has been set nicely for season.”
Brian and Bonnie Helgemo are owners of The Helgemo Team. Brian Helgemo says Charlotte County’s housing market is moving closer to balance as inventory tightens ahead of the seasonal market.
Brian Helgemo
The Realtors association’s latest data showed the median time to sale was 104 days in June, up from 96 days in May.
“A few months ago, the only homes that would sell were well-prepared, properly positioned and realistically priced,” Helgemo said. “Houses that don’t have all of these parameters today still struggle to sell. However, I am seeing homes with all three of these parameters sell close to list price and sometimes over list price, oftentimes in less than a week.”
The shift is giving sellers more leverage while still leaving opportunities for buyers, Helgemo said.
The changing market is “creating a meaningful window of opportunity,” he said. “There are still plenty of opportunities for buyers, but they may need to act more decisively as competition increases and their negotiating flexibility begins to narrow.”
Helgemo said he is optimistic about the coming season, when seasonal residents return and visitor traffic increases.
“The outlook here in Southwest Florida is increasingly positive, with the market showing major signs of greater balance, stronger demand and renewed momentum heading into season,” he said. “I am excited for this season.”
Other indicators also point to tightening inventory. Charlotte County had 530 new listings in June, down from 609 in May. Total inventory fell to 2,449 homes from 2,789 in May.
Together, declining inventory and rising prices suggest the market has moved away from the stronger buyer advantage seen earlier in the year and is beginning to tilt toward sellers.
Whether that trend continues will depend on several factors, including the remainder of hurricane season. Charlotte County avoided a hurricane strike in 2025, and another storm-free season could help sustain visitor traffic and demand from seasonal buyers, local Realtors say.