CALIFORNIA

Statewide home sales rose a bit; prices off

California home sales increased slightly in October but prices lost ground,

the California Association of Realtors reported Monday.

Statewide, 468,880 homes closed escrow in October on an annualized basis,

up 0.8 percent from the same period in 1994, the association said. Sales were

up 2.2 percent from September.

The statewide median price last month was $176,040, down 3.2 percent from

October 1994. It was off 2.5 percent from September's median price.

As reported last week, home resales in Sonoma County dropped 10 percent in

October from September and down 11.5 percent from October 1994.

The median price of Sonoma County homes sold in October was $193,000, less

than one percent higher than in October 1994.

-- Staff and wire reports.