ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Tuesday, May 7, 1996                   TAG: 9605070045
SECTION: BUSINESS                 PAGE: C-8  EDITION: METRO 

ROANOKE REGIONAL ECONOMIC INDICATORS

Valley home sales rose last month compared with year-earlier figures but dropped 10.8 percent between March and April. Walter White, president of the Roanoke Valley Association of Realtors, blamed rising mortgage interest rates for the decline. The 354 homes sold last month, however, represented an 18.4 percent increase over 299 sold a year earlier.

The median price of a home sold last month was $93,450. On average, buyers paid 2.9 percent less than the listed price, and properties spent 104 days on the market. There were 2,074 homes for sale at the end of the month.

LENGTH: Short :   21 lines
ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC:  21 charts. color.