According to a recenty artical (posted below), by Neal Hughes, of The Charlotte Sun Hearld, new sales statistics support the fact that a Real Estate turnaround may be at hand; at least in central Charlotte County

By NEIL HUGHES - Staff Writer
Charlotte Sun Hearld 

Sales of single-family homes in Southwest Florida continued on an overall upward trend in March, suggesting a turnaround in the real estate market might be a real estate reality, rather than just a statistical anomaly.

The biggest turnaround in March, according to new numbers from the Florida Association of Realtors, was in the Punta Gorda Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Charlotte County. There, Realtor sales in March 2008 for single-family existing homes hit 268 — a 13 percent increase from March 2007.

Bill Dryburgh, president of the Punta Gorda-Port Charlotte-North Port Association of Realtors, said the numbers demonstrate that people realize now is a great time to buy a home.

"There are a lot of bargains out there," Dryburgh said Thursday, "and people are starting to listen and take advantage of it."