By MICHELLE CABRERA
MLS Coordinator, Kosciusko Board of Realtors

December home sales increased 8.5 percent statewide, but it wasn’t enough of a boost for the total number of home sales in 2014 to best the year before. Home sales for 2014 slipped 1.6 percent compared to 2013. This is according to the Indiana Real Estate Markets Report today released by the state’s Realtors.

However, home sale prices were better in both the monthly and annual comparisons. December’s median sale price is $125,000, a 5.2 percent increase, and the average is $153,643, a 4.8 percent increase. The median sale price of all homes sold in 2014 is $126,000, a 3.3 percent increase, and the average is $152,095, a 4.2 percent increase.

“The year as a whole shaped up to be much better than most believed it would be at the start of 2014,” said Brownsburg’s Bruce Bright, 2015 President of the Indiana Association of Realtors. “Interest rates remained low, and the number of private sector jobs grew. This coupled nicely on the government side with mortgage debt forgiveness and interest deduction preservation.

“The increase in December pending home sales suggests that 2015 will be off to a faster start than 2014,” continued Bright. “Whether real estate stays on this positive path depends on the job market, and particularly on wages, access to credit, and consumer confidence.”