ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times

DATE: Tuesday, January 7, 1997               TAG: 9701070077
SECTION: BUSINESS                 PAGE: B-6  EDITION: METRO 

ROANOKE REGIONAL ECONOMIC INDICATORS

A poor showing in December, traditionally a slow time for home sales, helped push down the number of houses sold in the Roanoke Valley for 1996. A 41 percent drop in December, compared with December 1995, left the 1966 total at 3,639, off 7 percent from 3,913 in 1995. On average, buyers paid 3.6 percent less than the listed price, and properties spent an average of 90 days on the market. At the end of the year, 1,864 homes were for sale, including 247 listed last month.

LENGTH: Short :   20 lines
ILLUSTRATION: GRAPHIC:  21 color charts.