The median price of homes also saw a moderate increase, according to Lehigh Valley Association of Realtors.
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The Lehigh Valley Association of Realtors released a new research report indicating year-to-date sales, pending sales and the affordability index up over the same time last year.
Home sales in the Lehigh Valley jumped 2.3 percent last month compared to January 2012, according to a report released Tuesday by the Lehigh Valley Association of Realtors.
The report, which says sales closed on 307 homes for the month, also showed other positive trends in the region’s housing market. Pending sales for the month were up 30.7 percent compared to the same period last year. And the median price of homes for the month was $158,250, a 1.4 percent increase over the figure in January 2012, according to the report.
The association’s latest report also shows it’s taking less time to sell a home. The average home sold after 81 days on the market last month compared to 95 days in the same period last year.
Although the latest figures were an improvement in same-month comparisons, they still fell short of some of the gains made in last year’s spring and summer months, which generally outperform winter months in terms of real estate activity.
Homebuilders are still expressing uncertainty about the recovery of the housing market. In a separate report released Tuesday, the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index showed a slight drop, the first drop since last April. The index quantifies U.S. homebuilder confidence.
LVAR monthly statistics are based on figures generated by the association’s multiple listing services, according to a news release. LVAR is a nonprofit trade organization.