Home sales and prices on Kauai and the Big Island showed some improvement last month, but real estate watchers say that these markets have not turned.

In February, 20 single-family homes changed hands on Kauai, which represented a nearly 82 percent increase from the prior year's sales.

Likewise, condominium sales rose to 12, a roughly 9 percent rise from February 2009.

More than half of the Kauai buyers in February paid at least $446,500 for a house, which represented a nearly 12 percent gain from the same period in 2009. Similarly, the median price paid for a Kauai condominium rose by nearly 8 percent to $313,000.

While the numbers are positive, it is too soon to link them to a trend, said Phil Fudge, principal broker of Kapaa-based Kauai Landmark Realty.

“;Though we've had an increase of what seems like a lot, we are just regaining some of the ground that we lost.”;

Even with the uptick in sales and prices, the market is still hovering at 2003 to 2004 levels, Fudge said.

“;I'm seeing prices that I haven't seen in quite a few years,”; he said, adding that foreclosure pricing is driving the market.

Fudge said he recently sold a Wailua Homestead estate for $500,000—about half of what the property would have fetched at the height of the past boom.

“;Kauai's real estate market won't recover completely until the economy on the U.S. mainland recovers,”; he said. “;We are a tourist-based economy, and our occupancies have to go up. A lot of workers have been laid off or had their hours cut.”;

It was a similar story on the Big Island, which saw single-family home sales increase about 8 percent to 94 and condominium sales rise 200 percent to 39. Still, foreclosure problems in the Big Island resort markets continued to push down prices. The Big Island's median single-family home price fell about 19 percent to $237,000, while the condominium median fell nearly 39 percent to $266,175.

“;We're still seeing the fallout from the short sales and the foreclosures,”; said Paula Beamer, a real estate agent with Clark Realty. “;Every two out of three showings is a distressed property.”;

Since distressed inventory will have to be absorbed before prices rise, bargain hunters have their choice of properties, Beamer said.

“;We're getting lots of interest from Canada and from the mainland U.S.,”; she said. “;There are some really great bargains, especially at the high end.”;

A house in Kukio that was listed at $13.9 million recently sold for $11.7 million, Beamer said.

“;The high end is definitely starting to pick up again,”; she said.