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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Fire destroys west Medford mobile home ... Jackson County deputy stops suicidal man who was stabbing himself ... Man threatened to detonate bomb during arrest ... Fire destroys west Medford mobile home ... Jackson County deputy stops suicidal man who was stabbing himself ... Man threatened to detonate bomb during arrest ... REAL ESTATE Housing prices climb 9 percent in Jackson County Number of home deals shows big jump of 42 percent Comment By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 4, 2015 at 5:29 PM By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 4, 2015 at 5:29 PM » Social News The median sales price for Jackson County single-family homes rose 9.1 percent to reach $209,000 for the three-month period ending Jan. 31. Southern Oregon Multiple Listing Service reported activity picked up dramatically, with 472 deals compared to 380 for a similar three-month period a year ago, a 42 percent gain. Ron Galbreath, an agent with Coldwell Banker in Medford, said a combination of low interest rates and recovering prices in other markets have contributed to increased median sale prices in most parts of the county. "If a house is priced from $225,000 on down, it doesn't last long on the market," Galbreath said. "When rates fell to 3 or 3.5 percent, there were kids asking themselves why they should be paying $1,200 rent when they could buy the same home for $800 a month." People who may have lost houses during the collapse of the market seven or eight years ago are also returning to the market, he said. "They're very cautious though, they won't overpay," Galbreath said. "We're trying to keep the market from overheating again, but when people price a house low enough, they're actually getting bidding wars again." Eight of 13 statistical areas reported median gains, led by Shady Cove/Trail, which recorded a 29.1 percent jump to a median price of $177,445 from $137,500. West Medford's median rose 20.9 percent to $133,0000 from $110,225. Eagle Point saw an advance of 16.5 percent to $238,750 from $205,000. East Medford, which accounted for nearly a third of the home sales during the past three months, saw its median price edge up 3.5 percent to $220,000 from $212,500. "We're starting to see more and more of an influx from out-of-state buyers," Galbreath said. "They've got their equity back and they are escaping Southern California. It feels like the cycle is starting over again. Houses that remain on the market are there because of the quality of construction or location, otherwise they would sell." While sales were up, year-over-year, the inventory of houses in half of the local areas declined. Countywide there was a 1.7 percent decline, with 962 houses in the SOMLS system Jan. 31, compared with 979 a year ago. Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 541-776-4463 or  [email protected] . Follow him on Twitter at  www.twitter.com/GregMTBusiness , on Facebook at  https://www.facebook.com/greg.stiles.31 , and read his blog at  www.mailtribune.com/Economic Edge .       By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Greg Stiles Mail Tribune Posted Feb. 4, 2015 at 5:29 PM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501