AUGUSTA— The cold winter hasn’t slowed the pace of home sales in Maine.

Maine Listings says January home sales were up 8.6 percent compared to the same month a year ago. The organization says the median price also grew by 2.8 percent to $166,500.

Angelia Levesque, president of the Maine Association of Realtors, said the growth in winter home sales is a “good sign” that there will be a strong spring market for homes.

The National Association of Realtors announced a 6.0 percent decrease in January sales nationwide, while the national median price grew 104 percent to $188,900.