TAMPA - The Bay area real estate market continued to show signs of stabilization in the first quarter as home sales rose 15 percent, according to Florida Realtors.

There were 6,580 sales in the first quarter, compared with 5,721 in the same quarter last year. Prices, meanwhile, fell just 1 percent. The median sales price in the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro area was $129,300, down from $130,800.

Sales were up 24 percent in Florida, as 38,846 homes changed hands, up from 31,410 during the same period a year ago. Prices fell 5 percent to a median sales price of $133,800. That's down from $140,900.

Sales were up as buyers rushed to take advantage of a federal tax credit that expired at the end of April.

Some experts worry that sales will suffer now that the incentive is gone. However, real estate agents say their phones are still ringing.

Calum MacKenzie, of Tampa Homes 24-7 LLC, said buyers who didn't make it in time for the deadline still want to buy.

"They know they're not going to get the credit, but they still want to get a home," he said.

Nationally, 91 out of 152 metropolitan statistical areas, or 60 percent, showed higher home prices in comparison with the first quarter of 2009. Twenty-nine saw double-digit increases. That's a sharp improvement from the fourth quarter of last year, when prices rose in about 40 percent of cities.

Compare that with the fourth quarter, when 67 areas reported gains and 123 were down.

The national median existing single-family price was $166,100, down 0.7 percent from the first quarter 2009 price of $167,300.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report. Reporter Shannon Behnken can be reached at (813) 259-7804.