The number of homes sold in July in a 17-county area that includes Trumbull and Mahoning increased over the same period last year.
Homes sold in July increased to 3,463 from 2,896 in 2011, or 19 percent, according to an Ohio Realtors Association report.
The Northeast Ohio Real Estate Exchange, also known as NEOHREX, includes Mahoning Trumbull, Summit, Portage, Stark, Columbiana, Carroll, Tuscarawas, Coshocton, Cuyahoga, Lake, Geauga, Medina, Ashtabula, Wayne, Holmes and Lorain counties.
Home values in the region also jumped, from $130,166 in July 2011 to $140,512 last month, representing a 7.9 percent increase.
Statewide, home sales increased by 13.4 percent in July, helping the marketplace record its 13th consecutive monthly sales gain, according to the statistics provided by the state's multiple listing services.
Meanwhile, sales of new and existing homes in Ohio posted a 12.9 percent increase during the first seven months of 2012 compared to the same period a year ago.
"With each passing month, it's becoming evident that we're establishing a solid foundation for having a sustainable, growing marketplace going forward," according to Robert U. Miller, president of the Ohio Association of Realtors.
The number of homes sold from January through July in NEOHREX region increased by 17.3 percent. There were 17,284 homes sold in 2011 compared to 20,278 this year. Average home value in 2011 was $121,074 compared to $125,835 in 2012, a 3.9 percent increase.
Yvonne Smith, president of the Warren Area Board of Realtors, said there also has been double-digit increases in home sales in Trumbull County.
"We expect the sales to continue to increase into next year because of low rates for housing and the job situation has been stabilizing," Smith said. "There are a lot of positive signs that this represents sustainable sales growth."