April was a sluggish month for Whatcom real estate sales Read more here: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/05/03/2507931/april-was-a-sluggish-month-for.html#storylink=cpy

Whatcom County's real estate market had a sluggish April compared to the rest of the state, according to the latest report.

Last month local real estate agents sold 163 single-family homes and condominiums, down from 186 in March, according to data from the Northwest Multiple Listing Service. Whatcom also was down slightly from a year earlier, when 166 units were sold.

Whatcom was one of the few Washington counties the NWMLS serves that experienced a year-over-year decline. Last month 5,177 units were sold in the 21 NWMLS counties, a 13 percent increase compared to a year earlier.

While sales slowed in Whatcom County, prices edged upward. Last month the median price locally was $245,000, up 1.3 percent compared to a year earlier.

Across the NWMLS, the median price was $240,000, also up 1.3 percent from a year earlier. It's the first time in more than four years that the NWMLS area experienced a year-over-year increase in the median price.

In Skagit County, 103 houses and condos sold last month, a 15.7 percent increase from a year earlier. The median price for those sales was $190,000, down 9.5 percent compared to April 2011.

Source: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/05/03/2507931/april-was-a-sluggish-month-for.html