Home sales in the Nashville area rose again in June for the ninth consecutive month.

According to the Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, or GNAR, just over 2,400 homes were sold in June. That’s a 15 percent increase over the same month last year. The combined sales totals for April, May and June are nearly 25 percent higher than last year’s second quarter.

GNAR President Lucy Smith says low interest rates, combined with the extension of the federal tax credit for home buyers, are fueling a gradual but steady recovery from the housing bust that began three years ago.

“We don’t have the strong market that we had through ‘till we started to see the downturn, but we’ve come a long way.”

GNAR figures show a slight drop in median sales prices for homes in most midstate counties, although for the region as a whole, prices are a little higher than last year. On average, homes are staying on the market for around 80 days.