Busy week at Bradenton Herald

This is a very busy week in the Bradenton Herald newsroom.

Just 45 minutes north, about 50,000 out-of-state visitors are convening in downtown Tampa for the Republican National Convention. We have several reporters covering all of the action live. For updates, check Bradenton.com frequently.

The event is expected to generate a huge economic boon for Manatee County -- filling up hotels rooms, tables at restaurants and other area attractions.

At the same time, we still have reporters covering any fallout from Tropical Storm Isaac, which turned out to mostly miss our area. Surfers are enjoying the rough waters, and the tourist who are still here are not afraid to make their way to the beaches. So far, no major damage has been reported in Manatee.

The good news: Piney Point, a former phosphate facility near Port Manatee, escaped the storm without any toxic runoff. This is one of the few positive developments to occur at the site since a liner tear in the gypsum stacks last year sent 170 million gallons of toxic water into Bishop Harbor on Tampa Bay.

You can read all about Piney Point here.

The bad news: The storm will increase gas prices in Manatee by as much as 20 cents a gallon in one week as refineries along the Gulf states halt production to protect themselves against potential damage.

For the latest business updates, follow me on Twitter @JoshSalman

Neal Communities off to strong year

If the sales by Neal Communities are any indication, 2012 is shaping up to be a good year for home builders.

The prominent Manatee County developer continued its speedy pace of new home sales in July, spurred by strong buyer interest in the Central Park neighborhood of Lakewood Ranch and Woodbrook, Neal’s newest community in south Manatee County, the company said.

The 22 sales between those two communities accounted for slightly more than half of Neal’s total of 44 in July and helped push year-to-date sales up to 325, almost 36 percent above the first seven months of 2011.

Also this month, Neal sold four homes in the East Manatee community of River’s Reach, five sales in Belleisle in Lakewood Ranch Country Club East, and four in Lakewood Ranch Country Club. Forest Creek added four sales and Sawgrass chipped in with two purchases.

The recent sales activity has come even after Neal increased its new home prices four times in several different communities within the last 60 days.

“Summer is normally the slow season,” Pat Neal, president of Neal Communities (pictured), said in a statement. “Despite some price increases, our team continues to please buyers with our offerings. This month’s performance nearly matches our year to date monthly average of 46 sales. We’re very pleased and are looking forward to a strong second half with the introduction of new inventory in existing communities as well as community unveilings.”

Market conditions now bode well for new homebuilders seeking to increase supply.

Existing homes for sale in the region have held below the six-month inventory threshold for most of the year, which traditionally signals a shift to a sellers’ market.

The Sarasota Association of Realtors reported that the inventory of homes for sale dropped to 4.1 months supply in June, a new 10-year low.

And Neal is striking while the iron is hot.

Neal’s newest community in Venice, Grand Palm, is set to open in early fall. The recently purchased Boca Royale Golf & Country Club near Englewood also will open in 2013.

For the latest business updates, follow me on Twitter @JoshSalman