Metro Atlanta's home sales prices lag the nation, says the latest report from the National Association of Realtors.
The region's median home sales price in the first quarter was $87,800, down from $99,800 in the first quarter of 2011. The national median existing single-family home price was $158,100, which is 0.4 percent below $158,700 in the first quarter of 2011.
About half of metro areas home prices gained a bit in the first quarter, which is up from last year. Home sales are up more than 4 percent nationally, the association says, which reflects metro Atlanta's experience.
Here, sales rose 11.8 percent from 2010 to 2011, according to Smart Numbers, a Marietta real estate tracking firm. But average prices are down from $135,000 to $115,000 in that period.
--Christopher Quinn
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