Lincoln County is one of only seven counties in the state that showed higher median sales prices for single family homes compared to the same month last year.

And, unlike many other states, Maine has not seen home prices take a nose dive.

The Maine Association of REALTORS reported that January of 2007 prices were higher than January of 2008 in most counties. However, the median sales price of a house in Lincoln County last year was $230,000, and this year was $232,500, or an increase of slightly over one percent. Sagadahoc County home prices also inched up a little, from $190,200 to $191,500, or an increase of .68 percent.

Among the counties which showed the largest increases were Washington County, jumping a whopping 54 percent from a median sales price of $115,000 to $178,000, and Somerset County, jumping 25 percent from $86,200 to $108,000. Other counties which showed price increases were Oxford, rising 19 percent from $143,250 to $171,250; Knox, rising nearly 16 percent, from $214,750 to $249,000; and Aroostook, rising eight percent from $81,150 to $87,750.

Among the counties that showed the greatest drop in median sales prices were Piscataquis County, dropping from $113,000 to $79,900, and Hancock County, dropping from $232,000 to $205,000.

The Realtors group reported that single family real estate sales decreased over 28 percent during January of 2008 compared with January of 2007. Nationwide, real estate sales were down 22.4 percent from January 2007, and the median existing single-family home price dropped about five percent, to $198,700.

Sheryl Gregory of Homestead Realty in Winthrop said, "Buyers have been reading various reports from other parts of the country with bad markets, and translating that information incorrectly to Maine. With low rates and plentiful financing options, buyers of Maine real estate are in a very good position."