According to a recent today by the Lancaster County Association of Realtors® (LCAR), 502 homes sold in October, a 0.4 percent decrease from the 504 homes that sold in October of 2005. The five-year average of homes sold in October is 524. For the year, January through October,

4,719 homes have sold, a 14.1 percent decrease from the same time period in 2005.

The $186,162 average sale price for October is a 1.5 percent increase from the October 2005 price tag of $183,444. The fiveyear average sale price for the month of October is $168,027.

Ten years ago in October of 1996, the average sale price of a home in Lancaster County was $118,054. New residential listings for October increased 11.3 percent from 648 in 2005 to 721 in 2006. The average number of new listings for the month of October over the last five years is 648.

“The national and local housing market seems to be following predictions—sales have leveled off with moderate price appreciation,” said LCAR president, Doug Byler. “It appears that the “housing slump” is nearly over; and by the early part of 2007, our numbers should be stronger.”