
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, March 1, 1991                   TAG: 9103010082
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: A9   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

ROANOKE REALTORS SEE NEW SURGE OF BUYERS

Despite back-to-back home sales drops of 65 percent in January and 53 percent in February, the Roanoke Valley Association of Realtors is optimistic about prospects for spring.

Spokeswoman Frances Bridge said 117 homes were sold here in January compared to 334 a year earlier, while February logged 178 sales against 380 in the same month of 1990.

Real estate agents had especially strong sales in the first quarter of 1990, she said, but 1991 results were affected by the Persian Gulf War and general economic uncertainty.

However, Bridge said she was buoyed by "a tremendous upsurge of interest" in the past two or three weeks, with people calling more often in response to advertising. She attributed that to falling interest rates.

Fifty-two of the homes sold in February cost more than $100,000, Bridge said, indicating that move-up buyers are returning to the market. The median price of a home in February was $79,000. - Staff report

by CNB