Home sales weather storms; The Sarasota-Bradenton and Port Charlotte-Punta Gorda markets post big gains in November.(A SECTION)

Byline: MICHAEL POLLICK michael.pollick@heraldtribune.com

The old Florida homestead racked up a 22 percent price gain in November, leaving behind some fears that the hurricanes of August and September would turn off buyers to the wonders of tropical living.

Existing single-family homes in the Sarasota-Bradenton market shot up 34 percent in value during November when compared with the same month a year ago, a Wednesday report from the Florida Association of Realtors showed.

And those in storm-ravaged Port Charlotte-Punta Gorda market managed a 20 percent gain in terms of median sales value. That market also includes sales for North Port.

"Quite frankly, it rebounded so quickly during the weeks following the storms that we stayed on track in our projects for the quarter," said Budge Huskey, president of the Florida West division of Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate Inc.

Coldwell's unit sales …