Utah's home sales in last quarter up 16%

Sales of existing homes across Utah were up 16 percent in the three months ended Dec. 31, 2004, compared to the same quarter of 2003, according to a Wednesday report by the Utah Association of Realtors.

During the 2004 fourth quarter, 9,574 homes and condominiums were sold, compared to 8,246 units sold in the fourth quarter of 2003.

Statewide, the average sales price rose to $197,663, up 12 percent from $176,954 in the fourth quarter of 2003.

Excluding Park City sales, which inflate the average, the average price in last year's fourth quarter was $178,082.

The Cache/Rich counties area reported 236 home sales in the fourth quarter at an average price of $152,069, up from 214 units sold in the same period of 2003 at an average price of $140,718.

Park City showed an average home sales price of $684,000 in the fourth quarter, up 32.8 percent from fourth quarter 2003, when the average price was $515,000.

Condominium sales also were up in Park City, with 367 units selling at an average price of $347,000 in last year's fourth quarter compared to 225 units at an average price of $304,000 during the same quarter in 2003.

Tooele County reported an average sales price of $128,207, up 18.6 percent from $108,116 in the fourth quarter of 2003.

The Uinta Basin saw home prices climb 5.5 percent to $118,164 from $111,958 a year earlier. In Washington County, home prices rose to $219,847, up 22.1 percent from $180,089.

For the 12 months ended Dec. 31, the average sales price of a single-family home in Salt Lake County climbed to $196,741, up 5.2 percent from the 2003 average price, according to a separate report released earlier this year by the Wasatch Front Regional Multiple Listing Service.

According to the WFRMLS report, the number of single-family homes sold in Salt Lake County also climbed to 12,931 units, up 7.4 percent from 12,035 units in 2003.

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E-mail: danderton@desnews.com