Newport County, R.I.

0 Comments | USA TODAY, June, 2009 | by Taylor McGraw

The nationwide plunge in luxury home sales did not exempt Newport, R.I., but vacation-home seekers are beginning to come out of hiding in the seaside community.

"The market went silent in October," says Melanie Delman of Lila Delman Real Estate. "But since April, we've experienced a change. We're busy every day with showings, discussions and negotiations."

Delman, whose company sells many of the multimillion-dollar homes in the area, believes the luxury market may finally be emerging from a lengthy drought.

Jamestown, a high-end second-home community in Newport County, has seen a 66% drop in single-family home sales from a year ago, according to the Rhode Island Multiple Listing Service.

Despite the wobbly luxury market, April sales of...