Sales of existing single-family homes in Maine increased in April compared with a year earlier, as did the median price, the Maine Association of Realtors said Thursday, but both lagged behind national growth.

The association reported that 1,032 existing single-family homes were sold last month, up 1.7 percent over April 2014. The median sale price for those homes rose 5.3 percent from a year earlier to $178,000. The median price indicates that half of the homes sold for more and half sold for less.

The National Association of Realtors reported a nationwide jump in existing single-family home sales of 6.5 percent last month over the year before. The national median sale price of $221,200 in April represents a 10 percent increase from a year earlier.

The Northeast experienced a 1.6 percent uptick in sales and a 3.6 percent increase in sale prices to a median of $253,200.

In Maine, sellers have been setting realistic prices for their homes, which is a major component of the market’s recent success, Marie Flaherty, president of the Maine Association of Realtors, said in a news release.

“Pricing, combined with great presentation, is a winning combination,” said Flaherty, a Realtor with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services in Westbrook.

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Buyers should view as many homes as possible to become properly educated on home values, she said, adding that in the current climate of multiple bids a buyer might get only one chance to make an offer on a given home.

Statewide, home sales were up 6.3 percent for the three months ending in April compared with a year earlier, the association said.

Maine’s median sale price for the three-month period was up 3.7 percent at $170,000.

The biggest year-over-year jump in sales for the period was in Knox County, where the number of sales increased 29.4 percent from 68 to 88. The biggest drop was in Sagadahoc County, where sales fell 16.5 percent from 85 to 71.

The biggest boost in median sale price for the three months was in Washington County, where it increased 39.9 percent from $71,500 to $100,000. The median price fell the most in Piscataquis County, down 37.6 percent from $100,500 to $62,750, according to the association.

 


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