April house sales jumped 36 percent in April to 1,072 from 788 a year ago, according to the Des Moines Area Association of Realtors. Pending sales also increased, rising nearly 15 percent to 1,766 last month from 1,541 in April 2014. Association President Robin Polder said in a release that buyers should be prepared for hard bargaining, with the average spread between asking price and sales price being 5 percent or less. The median sales price increased more than $5,000 month to month and more than $10,000 over the year ending in April. Houses sold last month had been on the market an average 84 days, compared with 95 days in March and 98 days in April 2014.