Housing sales in our area offered a mixed message. There were fewer homes sold in January, but they were worth more money.

According to the St Joseph Regional Association of Realtors, there were 66 units sold last month in the nine-county area, down from 73 homes sold in January, 2012.

But they were worth over $8.1 million, compared to $7.78 million in sales reported January of 2012.

Those numbers are dramatically higher than home-sales figures from January, 2011, when just over five milion dollars in home sales were reported.

Last month’s data represents a 9.59% decrease in units sold, but a 4.96% increase in the value of those homes.