Home sales in Lee soar near record

You wouldn't know it by the daily headlines, but Realtors in Lee County sold more homes in 2009 and 2010 than they did during the three-year housing boom of 2004 through 2006.

According to data compiled by the Realtor Association of Greater Fort Myers and The Beach, there were a total of 33,149 existing-home sales in 2009 and 2010. That compares with a total 26,214 in the three-year boom of 2004 to 2006.

In fact, the more than 16,000 homes sold in each of 2009 and 2010 in Lee County eclipsed the 9,842 homes sold at the height of the market in 2005.