Dr. Harry Andrew DeFerrari and his wife, Sofia, bought a five-bedroom, two bath at 1008 Country Club Drive in North Palm Beach from Julie and Brian Idle for $560,000 on June 30.

The Idles bought the property for $260,000 in March 1997. The 2,708 square foot house was built in 1966.

Mr. DeFerrari is a professor of applied marine physics at the Rosenstiel School of Marine & Atmospheric Science of the University of Miami. His research interests are experimental ocean acoustics, signal processing and instrument development.

He is also a published author, having contributed articles in several journals like Oceanography Today and ARLO Acoustical Society of America.

He received his degree in marine engineering in 1959 from Catholic University in Washington, D.C., and his master's in 1961 from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He went back to Catholic University to obtain his doctorate in engineering in 1966.

Home sales in North Palm Beach are up ten percent in 2008 versus sales in 2007. The median sales price, however, is down from $275,000 to $240,000.

Address: 1008 Country Club Drive
Buyer(s): Harry Andrew Deferrari and Sofia S Deferrari
Seller(s): Julie A Idle (Individually and as Trustee), Brian D Idle (Individually and as Trustee), and Julie A Idle (Revocable Trust)
Sale date: Jun. 30, 2008