AGENT MLS HOME FINDER

Bradenton, Florida, located on the state’s western Gulf shores just south of Tampa, has, like most markets in the Sunshine State, seen a struggling real estate market throughout most of 2009. The city has seen houses lose thousands of dollars in value and many homes have been lost due to foreclosure.

Though many markets in the U.S. have seen figures slowly begin to trickle back up as signs of improvement spring up, the market for real estate in Bradenton still shows signs of trouble, according to statistics made available by the local realtors association. Prices have shown no significant signs of improvement either. The median sale price in November was just $174,000, down from $206,300 at the same time last year for a decline of more than 15%.

The number of homes sold from the Bradenton real estate market in November was 283, up from just 186 at the same time last year, though down slightly from October and September’s clip of more than 300. Many buyers have likely been moved to jump into the market by the government’s stimulus tax program, offering irresistible rebates of up to $8,000 to select home buyers who meet qualifications.

The number of homes on the market has fallen, though there are still many homes for sale in Bradenton sitting unmovable on the market, awaiting a buyer. In November, there were just under 3,500 homes for sale, down by more than 5,250 from the same time last year, a fall of 34% as some of that inventory clears out.