Greater Des Moines house sales increased 4.2 percent in 2017 from 2016, while the median sales price rose 2.6 percent, according to a release from the Des Moines Area Association of Realtors. Last year, 14,703 houses sold at a median price of $195,00; in 2016, 14,105 houses sold at a median price of $189,900. Sales in December were up 2.7 percent from a year ago.  Houses that sold in 2017 were on the market an average of 77 days, compared with 75 days the previous year. Active listing remained low, with 3,201 houses on the market at the end of 2017. The Realtors association reported that its foundation hit a milestone in 2017, reaching $500,000 in donations to local organizations, including Habitat for Humanity, Boys and Girls Club of Central Iowa, and Project Jack, a program that teaches children the importance of giving back to the community.