AUSTIN (Austin American-Statesman) – According to a new report from the Austin Board of Realtors:

The median home price climbed to $175,000, a nearly 5 percent increase over last year.

The region is still defying the cooling housing market that has affected other parts of the country, and analysts expect the trend to continue. Real estate agents and experts predict Central Texas’ housing market in 2007 will be as strong, if not stronger, than last year’s.

In fact, pending sales of single-family homes rose 12 percent from a year earlier to 2,168, indicating sales might rebound this month.