Inman

Iowa real estate sales pick up

Home sales and prices in Iowa on whole eked out modest gains in 2005 compared to one year earlier, the Iowa Association of Realtors reported, although some larger markets posted double-digit price growth.

Realtors reported 39,380 single-family homes sold statewide in 2005, up 6 percent from 37,251 homes sold in 2004.

The median price of a home in Iowa in 2005 totaled $129,560, up 1 percent from the 2004 median value of $128,350. The median is a typical market price where half of the homes sold for more and half sold for less.

Among the cities reporting the strongest growth, Des Moines saw 11,265 sales last year, up 4 percent from 10,811 in 2004, while the median home price jumped 13 percent during the same period, from $149,400 to $168,300.

Sales in Dubuque totaled 1,245 in 2005, up 6 percent from the previous year, while the city’s median home price grew 11 percent during the period, from $114,000 to $127,000.

The Iowa Association of Realtors is one of the state’s largest real estate professional organizations, representing more than 7,500 members and affiliates.

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