Washington home sales surge in late 2009

The sale of existing homes in Washington surged in the fourth quarter of 2009, but prices remained soft. The Washington Center for Real Estate Research at Washington State University said home sales were up 21.3 percent in the fourth quarter compared to the third quarter. Sales were up 46 percent compared to the fourth quarter a year ago. But prices continued to drop. The median price for a home in Washington was $244,000 in the fourth quarter, 8.5 percent lower than the fourth quarter of 2008. For the whole year, the median sale price was $250,700, down 11.8 percent from 2008.