In July 2008, before downturns in the local economy and real estate markets were well established, buyers paid a median $2.4 million for 17 condominiums in Maui's Wailea-Makena resort area. A year later, eight condos sold in the same area for a median $711,500.

The deflated market for resort condos contributed to a particularly weak month for Maui home sales in July.

The Realtors Association of Maui reported that the median price for condos bought on the Valley Isle in July fell 39 percent to $350,000 from $575,000 a year earlier. Sales were up 10 percent to 69 from 63 in the same period.

For single-family homes, the median price was down 13 percent to $532,000 last month from $610,000 a year earlier. Sales were down 41 percent to 57 from 97.

According to data from RAM, much of the median price decline was related to sales in pricey resort areas, such as the case of Wailea-Makena condos.

But the weakness also was more widespread. Maui's three largest condo submarkets — Kihei, Central Maui and Napili-Kahana-Honokowai — also saw reduced median prices.

In Kihei, there were 26 sales last month, unchanged from the same month last year. But the median price fell to $257,500 from $365,500.

In Central Maui, there were 10 condo sales last month, up from five a year earlier, while the median price fell to $177,600 from $286,000.

In Napili-Kahana-Honokowai, nine condos sold last month, up from eight a year earlier, and the median price fell to $386,000 from $725,000.

The median is a point at which half the sales were for more and half for less, meaning the figure can be influenced by the mix of homes sold particularly in small markets like Maui's.

In Maui's single-family home market, median prices were more mixed. In the largest submarket, Central Maui, there were 19 sales last month compared with 39 a year earlier. But the median price rose to $502,499 from $401,300.

The median price also was higher in the second-largest submarket for single-family homes, Ha'iku, where there were seven sales for a median $888,000 last month compared with three sales for a median $878,000 a year earlier.

In Kula-'Ulupalakua-Kanaio, the third-largest submarket for Maui single-family homes in July, the median price was down to $586,500 on six sales from $772,500 on four sales.

In Kihei, there were five July sales for a median $397,000, a drop from 23 sales at a median $764,801 a year earlier.