Washtenaw County's residential real estate market improved in January, fulfilling predications made by local brokers who forecast an increase in sales activity over 2009.

Home sales climbed 7.5 percent to 164 units, while condo sales climbed 6.5 percent to 30 units, according to the Ann Arbor Area Board of Realtors.

Combined, those sales generated $28.97 million, up from $26.59 million in 2009.

And both the average list price and average sales price climbed in the first month of the year. The average list price moved to $175,280 from $164,270, while the average sale price jumped from $153,486 to $165,842.

Meanwhile, the number of listings of both homes and condos fell: 8.7 percent for homes, 12.7 percent for condos.

The ongoing drop in new listings over the past year combined with the uptick in activity appears to be stabilizing prices in many submarkets, brokers said for a recent story on AnnArbor.com.

Brokers say the activity remains higher than usual for early in the year, giving them hope that the spring market will be more robust than recent years.

“As we bring houses onto the market, showings are immediate and constant,” said Sharon Snyder, broker with Prudential Snyder & Co. Realtors in Ann Arbor.

Communities that posted sales gains for homes in January include: Chelsea, Manchester, Whitmore Lake, Saline, Lincoln Schools, Milan.

Condo sales gains were seen in: Chelsea, Saline and Ann Arbor.