There was a bit of March madness in the Twin Cities housing market last month. Propelled by more options and near-historic mortgage rates, buyers signed 5,301 purchase agreements last month, a 30.0 percent increase over last and the most in a decade, according to a monthly report from the Minneapolis Area Association of Realtors. We're working on a full report, but here's a quick look at key measures.

  • Closings: 3,907, a 21.0 percent increase over last year.
  • Median sales price: $210,000, a 10.5 percent increase over last year and the strongest gain in more than a year.
  • Average market time: 102 days, a 7.4 percent increase over last year.
  • New listings: 7,887, a 21.4 percent increase over last year.