Tampa home sales began the new year none too shabbily. The Greater Tampa Association of Realtors said 1,133 homes changed hands in January, up from 1,033 home sales in January 2009.

Prices gave back 3 percent year over year, from $160,775 to $156,024. That's average home price, not the more commonly used median home price. That's not bad considering close to half of all sales in Hillsborough County are foreclosure or pre-foreclosure homes, according to Tampa's Home Encounter.

GTAR covers sales in Hillsborough and east-central Pasco counties.

Here's a sheet showing sales and prices going back to 2006: Download Gtarjan