Homes sales on the Big Island and Kauai followed the same pattern as Oahu — registering a significant drop in May.

Big Isle home sales dropped to 100 from 162, a 38.3 percent drop from a year ago in May, according to the latest statistics from Hawaii Information Service.

This was despite an 11.5 percent drop in the Big Isle median price to $389,000 in May, compared to $439,500 in May 2007.

On Kauai, home sales also dropped to 20 from 41, a 51.2 percent drop from a year ago in May. The median price on Kauai, however, increased 18.9 percent to $677,500 in May compared to $570,000 a year ago.

On Oahu, the number of homes sold dived nearly 30 percent. The median prices on neighbor isles, however, can be skewed by individual sales, particularly since they are much smaller markets than Oahu. A smaller drop in number of homes sold also can result in a greater percentage drop because of the small quantity in the market overall.

Condo sales dropped on both the Big Isle and Kauai regardless of whether the median price went up or down. On the Big Isle, condo sales dropped to 36 in May, 22 less than a year ago, while the median price jumped 8 percent to $442,375.

On Kauai, condo sales dropped to 18 last month, seven less than a year ago, while the median price dipped 10.4 percent to $627,000.

(Source: Nina Wu, Honolulu Star-Bulletin)