SOUTH PORTLAND, Maine — A real estate group says home sales in Maine were up nearly 49 percent in November from a year earlier, marking the sixth straight month of increased sales.

The Maine Real Estate Information System said Tuesday that 1,025 existing homes sold last month, up from 690 homes in November 2008. Over the same period, the median sales price fell nearly 5 percent, to $164,000.

Nationally, existing home sales were up 42 percent for the month.

For the period from September through November, home sales showed an increase in 15 of Maine’s 16 counties. The exception was Franklin County, where sales fell 2.8 percent.

Following are statistics for counties in the Bangor Daily News circulation area for the September-through-November quarter:

• Aroostook: 106 homes were sold in the 2009 quarter, an increase of 21.8 percent from a year earlier. The median sales price was $90,750, a decrease of 9.1 percent.

• Hancock: 145 homes sold, up 14.1 percent from 2008. The median sales price was $175,000, a drop of 12.5 percent.

• Knox: 117 homes were sold, an increase of 31.5 percent. The median sales price was $178,800, an increase of 9.5 percent.

• Lincoln: 99 homes sold, an increase of 4.4 percent. The median sales price was $203,000, a decline of 8.3 percent.

• Penobscot: 347 homes sold, an increase of 37.7 percent. The median sales price was $124,900, down 5.8 percent.

• Piscataquis: 41 homes sold, a decline of 5.1 percent. The median sales price was $90,000, down 5.2 percent.

• Somerset: 110 homes sold, up 48.6 percent. The median sales price was $99,500, up 15.2 percent.

• Waldo: 98 homes sold, up 19.5 percent. The median sales price was $151,000, down 4.6 percent.

• Washington: 24 homes sold, up 33.3 percent. The median sales price was $129,500, up 161.6 percent.