The Peoria Area Association of Realtors says the housing market is balancing out between buyers and sellers. That’s according to the group’s second-quarter housing report that says more than 13-hundred homes sold between April and June. That’s a nearly 11-percent increase from the same time last year. The number of properties on the market has also decreased as did the number of days spent on the market.

Association President Laura Martin says the second quarter statistics indicate the market is leveling off for both buyers and sellers.

"This means that when buyers are out looking, they should really analyze, talk to their realtor, and look at what the neighborhood is doing so that they know that they offer a healthy price for what they are purchasing. What that means for a seller many times in this market is that they are getting multiple offers because their houses are priced right and they're not overpriced, they're not underpriced, they're priced right. So, buyers are finding value in them," says Martin.

Martin says the improved housing market can be attributed to higher consumer confidence and lower unemployment rates, and low interest rates. She says a decrease in the number of available rental properties is also contributing to better home sales.