Baltimore-area home sales rise in January on boom in townhomes

Baltimore-area home sales grew 15 percent in January, driven by a boom in the sale of townhomes while the condo market slowed.

During the month, 1,538 homes sold in the region, up from 1,334 a year earlier, according to data released Monday by Rockville-based Metropolitan Regional Information Systems.

The median sale price held steady in January, rising 0.4 percent to $209,250. The average number of days homes stayed on the market decreased 22 percent to 100.

While sales numbers have improved…