More Austin homes sold in November 2013 compared to 2012, but total Austin home sales are still slightly down in 2013 compared to the year before.

There were 34 homes sold in Austin in November, compared to 21 the year before, but only 339 homes have sold through November 2013, compared to 344 through the same time in 2012, according to data released by the Southeast Minnesota Association of Realtors. That’s about a 1.5 percent decline compared to 2012.

“Although our inventory is down slightly across the region, this has created some ‘urgency’ with buyers and as a result, we saw a generous increase in pending sales, sold homes, and even an increase in home sale prices,” Casey Hatch, SEMAR president, said in a press release.

Houses are selling for more on average in Austin. The median sale price of homes sold this year was about $93,000, compared to about $75,000 in 2012.

Housing sales in Albert Lea continue to rise, as there’s 13 percent more sales in Albert Lea through November — about 205 homes sold — compared to the same period in 2012, when only 181 homes were sold. Housing is also up slightly in Owatonna, with 308 homes sold through November compared to 298 during the same period in 2012