The average price of homes sold in Jefferson County in the first four months of 2015 was $181,197, nearly a $20,000 increase over the same 2014 period, the Greater Louisville Association of Realtors has reported.

Home sales were up sharply across the association’s three-county metro area, which includes Jefferson, Bullitt and Oldham counties.

Association members “are seeing a strong seller’s market, especially in the Highlands, Crescent Hill and Saint Matthews,” said Paula Colvin, association president.

The sales trend cited in the report would tend to affirm recent property assessment increases placed on many residences in those and some other nearby areas by Jefferson PVA Tony Lindauer. The assessments were based largely on what nearby homes with similar characteristics sold for in the last year.

The association reported that 4,247 homes were sold in the three counties in the first four months of 2015 — up from 3,870 residential sales in the same period of 2014.