Home prices in Southwest Florida continue to post double-digit gains, despite some predictions that those hefty increases that have been a hallmark of 2013 will begin to taper off.
Prices of single-family homes in the Sarasota-Manatee region climbed 11 percent in October over last year, according to the latest report from real estate data provider CoreLogic.
That fell short of the 12.5 percent increase reported nationwide, which marked the 20th straight monthly boost in homes prices in the U.S.
But prices outpaced the U.S. in Charlotte County, where they jumped 14.7 percent in October over the same period in 2012.
Both regions, however, topped the national average for month-to-month price gains.
Home prices from September to October rose 0.4 percent in Sarasota-Manatee and 0.5 percent in Charlotte, compared with a 0.2 percent average hike throughout the country.
That small nationwide gain, experts suggest, indicates prices may be starting to level off.
“In October, the year-over-year appreciation rate remained strong, but the month-over-month appreciation rate was barely positive, indicating that house price appreciation has slowed as expected for the winter,” said Mark Fleming, chief economist for CoreLogic.