The effects of the real estate crisis are still being felt in the Baltimore region's housing market, though increasingly showing signs of dissipating.

Bank-mediated sales, which are mostly foreclosures, fell almost 7 percent in April in the Baltimore metro area compared to a year earlier, according to a monthly report issued Tuesday.

Those homes also fetched higher sums, with the median sales price up about 15 percent, the data provided by ShowingTime RBI shows.

The improvement comes after distressed sales surged in recent years. Foreclosures occurred more slowly than in many other states as the state changed regulations to be more consumer friendly.

The progress in the distressed market last month helped lift the median sales price in Baltimore and the five surrounding counties nearly 6 percent from April 2015, hitting $243,000, according to the report, which is based on listing activity from the MRIS multiple list service.

That's the highest median price since 2008, though it remains about 12 percent below the April 2007 peak.

Excluding bank sales, the median sales price in the region was $171,500, increasing a more modest 1.1 percent year-over-year.

Price appreciation was checked, as a large number of new listings came on the market in response to demand, said Andrew Strauch, vice president of product innovation and marketing at MRIS.

The number of sales topped 3,200 last month — the most in a decade, with growth in every jurisdiction in the region, according to the ShowingTime RBI report. It's the 21st month in a row that sales activity increased from the previous year.

Sales outstripped listings so that the supply of homes on the market fell by about 6 percent to 11,925 compared to April 2015. Nonetheless, the market remains largely in balance, Strauch said.

“It's not hitting price appreciation too much at this point in time, which is a good thing,” he said. “The buyers and sellers seem to be coming back into the market at the same time.”

Howard County retained its position at the top of the housing market, with the highest priced homes and fastest sales. Homes closed in an average of 23 days — a little over half the regional average of 41 days. The median sales price increased 1.3 percent year-over-year, to $395,000.

Baltimore County saw the biggest increase in sales activity, which rose about 21 percent last month compared to April 2015. The median sales price was $215,000, up 4.9 percent year-over-year.

The median sales price in Anne Arundel and Harford counties did not change, holding steady at $300,000 and $234,500, respectively.

Carroll County reported a less than 1 percent decline in median sales price, which slipped about $500 to $286,250.

The effect of bank-mediated sales was most evident in Baltimore City, where April's median sales price spiked 31.4 percent year-over year, reaching $135,000, as foreclosures declined. As the most affordable jurisdiction in the region, the city also sees more dramatic percentage changes.

The underlying strength of the city's housing market should become clearer as last year's flood of bank-mediated sales, often purchased by investors, recedes, said Steven Gondol, executive director of Live Baltimore, which promotes the city for homebuyers.

His organization, which recently began tracking sales by neighborhood, said it has seen strong pockets of activity in Northeast Baltimore and near the Johns Hopkins University's medical campus.

As buyers look widely for value, the city's overall prices may not appreciate significantly, Gondol said.

“People aren't quite ready to ramp up their offer prices when they can just jump over a neighborhood and obtain what they're seeking,” he said, adding that it's a sign of the market's expanding strength. “We're thrilled to see neighborhoods — beyond just the core neighborhoods that many people know — doing some exciting transactions.”

nsherman@baltsun.com