Fewer houses for sale was cited as the reason Maine home sales were down in May compared with the same month last year.

The volume of single-family home sales was down 8.85 percent in May compared with a year earlier, according to information released by the Maine Association of Realtors.

But prices did rise 5.12 percent to a median price of $200,000.

The inventory of homes for sale is 20 percent lower this spring than last, said Greg Gosselin, president of the Realtors association.

“2016 was a record year for real estate in Maine,” he said in the release, “and while these current numbers show a decline from last year’s highs, the (data show) the second highest numbers during this time period, since we began keeping records in 2003.”

Nationally, the volume of single-family home sales increased 2.7 percent. The National Association of Realtors reported a nationwide media sale price of $254,600, a 6.0 percent jump from one year ago. The Northeast saw a sales increase of 2.6 percent and the regional price rose 4.7 percent to $281,300.

In Maine, Cumberland County homes commanded the highest median price of $285,000, followed by York with $247,500 and Sagadahoc with $223,000.

This story was updated June 23 at 11:15 a.m. to correct the spelling of the Maine Association of Realtors.


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