SOUTH PORTLAND (AP) – Maine home sales fell 12.3 percent in May from a year ago, but prices fell by just 5.7 percent in the same period.

According to Maine Real Estate Information System Inc., real estate agents sold 969 single-family existing homes for the month, down from 1,106 in May 2007.

During the same period, the median sales price fell from $193,000 to $182,000.

The numbers in Maine were better than national figures released by the National Association of Realtors.

Nationwide, existing home sales in May dropped 14.5 percent from a year ago, while the median price dipped 6.8 percent.

AP-ES-06-27-08 0840EDT