Local home sales in April were down slightly from a year ago but stronger than they were earlier this year, according to the Des Moines Area Association of Realtors’ latest market statistics.

Last month, 877 homes were sold in Polk, Dallas and Warren counties, down from 908 in April 2006. April’s sales showed an improvement over March of this year, with nearly 60 more homes sold. Homes sold last month spent an average of 87 days on the market, one day less than homes sold in April 2006. The average selling price for homes last month was $155,631, down from $163,587 in the year-ago period.

Unsold inventory continues to be a factor in the market. The DMARR reported 6,616 active listings last month, compared with 6,163 in April 2006.

The National Association of Realtors is forecasting that this year’s housing activity will be somewhat lower than earlier projections. Existing home sales are expected to total 6.29 million this year, compared with 6.48 million last year.