The median home price in Pierce County ticked up slightly in February to $239,950, making it the fourth consecutive month that the price either stayed the same or increased, according to figures released Wednesday by the Northwest Multiple Listing Service.

The county’s median home price in January was $235,000.

By no means is anyone calling it a recovery from the real estate bust that sent county home prices falling for more than a year. The county’s median home price was $260,000 in February 2008 and peaked at $285,000 in the fall of 2007.

But local real estate agents say they’re starting to see a few glimmers of hope in what’s been a dismal market.

The county’s median home price dipped to $230,000 in November. December recorded a median price of $235,000 and January was the same.

In King County, the median home price – the midpoint of all sales – dipped to $348,000, down from January and from February 2008.

David Gala, a realtor with Windermere Professional Partners in Tacoma, said that homes priced at or below $250,000 have been selling.

“The affordable homes are starting to move,” Gala said. “That’s how you start, with baby steps. You start from the bottom and work your way up.”

The county’s pending home sales were down 5 percent from February 2008 to 866. By comparison, King County reported pending sales down by 23 percent and Thurston County reported pending sales down by 16 percent.

Remove condos from the equation, and pending sales of homes in Pierce County increased by 1 percent from last year at this time. Condo sales were down by more than 50 percent, with only 53 units sold last month.

The area’s inventory is shrinking. The number of homes and condos for sale decreased by 20 percent over the year to 6,262 active listings last month. Those in the real estate industry regard this as good news as declining supply tends to bolster home prices.

Cheryl O’Brien, an agent with John L. Scott in Gig Harbor, said her office is done taking what she calls “unmotivated listings,” or homeowners who maybe don’t need to sell but wanted to see what they could get for their homes.

“If you need to sell, we can get your house sold,” she said. “But you have to really want to sell.”

Kelly Kearsley: 253-597-8573

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