LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - The Arkansas REALTORS® Association  announced that September home sales were 10.28 percent higher than September 2010 while the average price of a home in Arkansas increased by less than 1 percent.  For the quarter (July - September), home sales increased 16 percent with the average price of a home in Arkansas decreasing almost 4 percent.

"As the Arkansas REALTORS® Association has been predicting, Arkansas home sales continue to be quite strong," said Amy Glover Bryant, Director of Communications for the Association.  "In the third quarter, Arkansas REALTORS® sold a total of 6,671 homes versus 5,719 in the third quarter of 2010.  Average prices during that time period were $143,944 compared to the third quarter of 2010 when the average price of a home in Arkansas was $149,430.  Affordability and strong mortgage rates are certainly helping to drive this year's improved numbers.  We do exp

HUD AWARDS $2 MILLION TO PROMOTE AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN HELENA-WEST HELENA

LITTLE ROCK – The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development today awarded a $1,998,621 grant to the Southern Bancorp Capital Partners of Arkadelphia.   The grant is part of a national effort to address distressed housing conditions and concentrated poverty.   HUD Secretary Shaun Donovan said the grants from HUD’s new Rural Innovation Fund promote an ‘entrepreneurial approach’ to affordable housing and economic development in rural areas.  Overall, $28 million was awarded to 46 rural and tribal communities throughout the nation.

"Rural America is vast and diverse, and different communities face different challenges and opportunities,” said Secretary Donovan.