Houses in Austin may sell for more this year than in 2012, but Austin home sales are down slightly compared to last year.

There were 277 homes sold in Austin through September of 2013, compared to 293 homes during the same period in 2012, according to data released by the Southeast Minnesota Association of Realtors. Yet 34 homes were sold last month, compared to 29 in September of 2012. Homes are still selling for about $97,000 on average, compared to about $75,000 last year.

“The Southeast Minnesota real estate market continued its recovery in September with median prices up 6 percent over last year,” SEMAR President Shawn Buryska said.

In Mower County, 357 homes have sold in 2013, compared to 363 at the same time last year, according to Re/Max. Regional sales are up, as 3,955 homes have been sold in 2013 compared to 3,691 homes in 2012.

Home sales in Albert Lea are up almost 15 percent this year, with 166 homes sold thus far compared to 145 through September 2012. Owatonna home sales are also up slightly, with 243 homes sold through last month compared to 236 in 2012.