Washington ? Sales of existing homes edged down a slight 0.1 percent in January as attractive mortgage rates continued to support strong demand in the housing market, a real estate trade group reported Friday.

The National Association of Realtors said existing single-family homes and condominiums were sold at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 6.80 million units in January, down from a revised 6.81 million units in December.

Property values rising (02-26-05)

The median price for a home sold was $189,000 in January, an increase of 10.5 percent from January 2004.

The strength in January came from sales of condominiums which rose by 2.3 percent. This offset a 0.5 percent decline in sales of single-family homes.