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Latest Figures Show Increase In Existing Home Sales

Existing home sales increased on the national, state and local levels in December.  

Jim Letizia reports.
Industry analysts say the increase is due to new federal mortgage disclosure regulations that had delayed the completion of purchases in November. The National Association of Realtors says existing home sales rose by 14.7 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.46 million, aided by steady job growth and low mortgage rates. The Ohio Association of Realtors says more than 146 thousand existing homes were sold in December, up from more than 131 thousand in November. The Columbus Realtors trade association says more than 21 hundred 50 homes were sold in December, up from nearly 19 hundred during the previous month. The national median sale price rose 7.6 percent last month to 224 thousand dollars. In Ohio, the nearly 152 thousand dollar average price is up from nearly 148 thousand in November. And in central Ohio, the median sale price was 184 thousand dollars, up from nearly 153 thousand last month.

Jim has been with WCBE since 1996. Before that he worked as a reporter at another Columbus radio station, and for three newspapers in Southwest Florida.
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