Local housing market sees little change in 2013

Despite showing an increase statewide, residential property sales remained relatively unchanged in Franklin County last year.

     A mid-January report released by the Iowa Association of Realtors showed a jump in home sales throughout the state from 34,842 in 2012 to 37,618 in 2013. The 7.9 percent increase was the third year in a row sale numbers climbed statewide, but local realtors were quick to point out the trend didn’t affect everyone.

     "I'd say it stayed pretty much the same," said Eric Christianson, manager and realtor at Jaspersen Insurance and Real Estate in Hampton. "The prices don't change as much, the population doesn't change as much, so the number of sales stays pretty much the same here."

Read the full article in the Feb. 5 edition of the Hampton Chronicle.