September marked the sixth consecutive month in which sales of existing single-family detached houses rose on a year-over-year basis.

Lower prices, especially among foreclosures, are fueling the recent burst in sales, which were the highest for a September since 2005.

The median price paid for all homes sold in the Las Vegas metro area was $205,000 in September, down 4.7% from $215,000 in August and down 29.1% from $289,000 in September 2007.

The median sale price has fallen on a year-over-year basis for 17 consecutive months and is now 34.3% below the region's peak $312,000 median in November 2006. September's median was the lowest since it was $200,000 in February 2004.

The median price paid for resale single-family (detached) houses fell to $196,000, down 30.6% from a year ago. That median was last below $200,000 in December 2003, when it was $193,000.

Another gauge analysts watch suggests greater price declines: The median price paid per square foot for resale detached houses fell to $108 in September, down 34.9% from a year ago and down 43.2% from the $190 peak reached in June 2006.

The median sale price - the point where half of the homes sold for more and half for less - has plunged for several reasons: Widespread home price depreciation; higher prices and qualifying standards for "jumbo" mortgages, which has undermined higher-end sales; and buyers' preference for discounted foreclosures.

About 82% of the Las Vegas-area houses and condos that resold in September had been foreclosed on at some point in the prior 12 months.