CARY -- The January report from the Triangle Multiple Listing Services shows slight increases in the number of homes sold and the median sales prices in the Triangle compared to a year ago.
According to the Cary organization, the number of sales totaled 1,030 in the Triangle in January, up 6.4 percent from 968 sales in January 2009. The median sales price was $183,550 for the month, up 2.6 percent from $178,900 a year ago.
The number of average days a home is on market until sale also increased to 109 days, up seven days from the 102 days in January 2009. Meanwhile, the inventory of homes for sale declined to 15,994 from 17,612 a year ago, a drop of 9.2 percent.
In Durham County, buyers closed on 134 homes in January at a median sales price of $164,750, down slightly from 137 homes in January 2009 at a median sales price of $168,000.
Wake County posted 568 homes sold at the median price of $207,500, up 7.2 percent and 4.7 percent, respectively, from a year ago. Orange County posted 44 sales at the median price of $278,500, also up 4.8 percent and 17.4 percent, respectively, from January 2009.
In Johnston County, the number and median price for sales both dropped in January compared to last year, to 79 closings at $145,000 -- down 12.2 percent and 9.1 percent, respectively.
Salmonella testing product approved
DURHAM — BioMérieux, a French company that’s a leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics, announced Tuesday via its U.S. office in Durham that its product, VIDAS SLM, has been approved for use testing black pepper for Salmonella contamination.
Food manufacturers are taking a close look at the black pepper they used in the wake of a series of illnesses involving hundreds of people in over 40 states, which officials suspect can be traced to contaminated black pepper used in salami and other meat products.
Quintiles offers new services
DURHAM — Quintiles announced on Tuesday the availability of anatomic pathology services through its central laboratory in Beijing to help biopharmaceutical companies develop more effective cancer treatments.
The services complement assay development, digital pathology and core lab offerings available through the facility to help customers comply with China’s restrictions on tissue import and export.
Games firm teams with Paramount
CHAPEL HILL — Chapel Hill-based games company Merscom and Paramount Digital Entertainment have released “Shutter Island,” a hidden object, casual adventure game launched in conjunction with the film starring Leonardo DiCaprio.
In the game, players search Shutter Island for a murderess and attempt to locate other criminally insane patients.
— From staff reports
