The sale of existing homes in the Mid-Columbia dropped about 17 percent in the first quarter. But statewide sales plummeted 30.6 percent compared with the same time last year.
The Washington State University Center for Real Estate Research reported that in Benton County, existing home resales dropped 17 percent and resales in Franklin County fell 17.4 percent. The median resale price in both counties dropped 1.8 percent, to $159,400, the report said.
Building permits for new homes also were down in both counties -- 11.7 percent in Benton County and 58.8 percent in Franklin County.
Statewide, the median sale price of an existing home was down 13.7 percent from a year ago, to $253,500, said The Associated Press.
And the number of building permits was down 53 percent.
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