SHELDON S. SHAFER

The Louisville-area sale of homes and condominiums rose 2.8 percent in January, a 2.8 percent increase over January 2015, the Greater Louisville Association of Realtors has reported.

The association tracks sales in Jefferson, Oldham and Bullitt counties.

The new figures show that 915 homes were sold in the three counties last month, compared with 890 in the same month a year ago.

The median price for a residence sold in the three counties in January 2016 was up 11.3 percent, compared with January 2015. In addition, the average price of a home that was sold in the three counties increased 12.4 percent in the last year, to $187,392, the association said.

And in the three counties, the inventory of available homes was 22 percent lower than in January 2015 — continuing the recent trend that homes are selling quickly, with high buyer demand and relatively low available stock.

In a news release association president Greg Taylor said that members ‘saw a continuation of strong sales from December into January…The current sellers’ market is expected to follow through into the spring selling season. Although there was a jump in prices compared to last January, average and median sales prices remained fairly consistent.’

In Jefferson County, the number of homes and condos sold totaled 622 last January, a decrease of nearly 3 percent compared with January 2015. However, the average sale price was up 15 percent, to $188,970.

In Oldham County, 64 homes and condos were sold in January, up nearly 40 percent compared with January 2015. The average sale price of units sold last month in Oldham was $278,123, up a fraction over the same 2015 period.

In Bullitt County in January, 53 homes and condos transferred (a 4 percent increase), with an average sale price of $167,658 compared with January 2015 — a rise of 12.7 percent, the association reported.

Reporter Sheldon S. Shafer can be reached at 502-582-7089, or via email at sshafer@courier-journal.com.

In Jefferson, Oldham and Bullitt counties, 915 homes were sold last month, compared with 890 in the