Sales of existing homes in Northwest Indiana between January and September are showing improvement when compared to the same period last year.

Data from the Indiana Association of Realtors shows closed sales in Jasper, Lake, La Porte, Newton, Porter, Pulaski and Starke counties totaled 7,983 year-to-date through September, down 2.8% from 8,209 when compared to the same period a year ago.

Year-to-date closed sales in the Region covered by the Greater Northwest Indiana Association of Realtors totaled 7,017 in August, which was down 3.8% from 7,292 closed sales between January and August 2018. Year-to-date closed sales in July in the Region totaled 5,869, down 4.9% from 6,171 between January and July 2018.

For September, sales of existing homes in Northwest Indiana totaled 966, up 5.3% from 917 in September 2018.

Median sales price for September was $182,500, up 8.6% from $168,000 in September 2018. The average sales price was $208,025, up 6.4% from $195,596 a year ago.

Sellers likely were drawn to the market by rising prices because of shrinking inventory. New listings in September totaled 1,250, up 8.1% from 1,156 a year earlier.

Sellers on average were receiving 95.8% of their list price, up 0.5% from 95.3% in September 2018.