Across the country, August sales of what the statisticians at the National Association of Realtors call 'existing homes' - that's single-family, town homes, condos and co-ops - climbed 7.6 percent from the month before. That month, this past July, US existing home sales nose dived, dropping to their lowest level in more than a decade. And that's because in July, homebuyers could no longer use a popular federal tax credit that the government had offered to try and jump start the market after the recession.
Overall, Ohio followed the national trend though August sales varied quite a bit by city. Data from Ohio-based regional multiple listing services show that in Northern Ohio sales are up about 4 percent, in Columbus about 8 percent and in Dayton about 10 percent.