Good news for those who live in or near the Furniture City: Grand Rapids real estate sales and prices are picking up.

Home sales are up 19 percent from a year ago, The Grand Rapids Press reports. Home prices are also up, with an average of $100,491, the highest figure in three months.
 
The buying is fueled by the mass of foreclosed houses on the market. Sixty-eight percent of transactions were foreclosures or short sales, down from 72 percent in February. A fair slice of sales, 13 percent, were made on properties valued at $20,000 or less.

Rising prices are indicative of falling supply: New listings are down 6.5 percent from 2008.

Besides cheap housing, what else is to blame for the jump in buying? Low interest rates on 30-year mortgages and an $8,000 tax credit for new homebuyers may also be bolstering sales.