The Illinois statewide median price experienced a 6.3 percent annual gain in October. Sales declined slightly as available housing inventory tightened, according to the Illinois Association of REALTORS.  Statewide home sales, including single-family homes and condominiums, in October 2015 totaled 12,881 homes sold, down 2.8 percent from October 2014 when 13,253 homes sold.  According to the data, 37 Illinois counties reported sales gains for October 2015 over previous-year numbers.  This did not include Washington County, as there were only 5 homes sold in October, compared to 6 homes sold last October and 8 homes sold in this September.  There were 74 homes sold through the end of this October, while 65 sold last year through the same time period, so overall, the year is better.  The statewide median price in October 2015 rose to $168,000, a 6.3 percent gain over October 2014’s statewide median price of $158,000.  The median is a typical market price where half the homes sold for more and half sold for less.  55 counties recorded median price gains in October 2015 over previous-year numbers.  This also was the case in Washington County, as it was $69,000 for the 5 homes that sold in October and it was only $30,000 for the 6 homes that sold last October.  The monthly average price for the homes that have sold so far this year is at $74,000, over $10,000 less than last year’s average, but only down $1,000 from the average this September, so the while the number of homes sold has risen, the average sales price has not.  The time it took to sell a home in October averaged 68 days statewide, down from 74 days a year ago.  It  much took longer in Washington County, as the 5 homes that were on the market took an average of 164 days to sell, only 1 day more than it took for the homes that sold in last October.  For the year to date at the end of last month, it took those 74 homes an average of 123 days to sell, as it took 121 days to sell the 65 homes to this date last year, so the time frame is settling.