Home sales on the Big Island rose in December as prices continued to drop.

But the year ended on a positive note for single-family homes, which saw an 8 percent increase in sales, according to statistics from our MLS.

There were 1,236 houses sold in 2009, up from 1,148 sold in 2008.

For December, there were 120 sales, up 22 percent from 98 houses sold in December 2008.

The median price in December, however, was $275,000, a 7.5 percent decline from $297,500 in 2008. For the entire year, the median price was $279,000, a 19 percent drop from $345,000 in 2008.

Condominium sales also rose in December, to 36 condos sold, up 71 percent from 21 sold during the same month in 2008. But the number sold for all of 2009, 327 condos, was down 12 percent from 370 condos sold in 2008.

Median condo prices on the Big Island were down 25 percent both in December and for all of 2009.

The median price of a condo in December was $255,000, down from $342,000 during the same month in 2008, while the median price for all of 2009 was $278,100, down from $370,000 in 2008.