January numbers on the Pierce County housing market show sales falling year-over-year in condos and houses at just about the same rate -- just under a 40 percent decline.

Take a look at the number of units listed, however, and an entirely different picture emerges. Both had more last month compared to January 2007 but the condo market definitely stands out: There were 925 condominiums listed for sale in January, a 68.5 percent year-over-year increase, according to Northwest Multiple Listing Service numbers. That compares to 6,599 houses, 26.2 percent more than what was listed last January.

Some of the condo increase must be due to units staying on the market longer, but there was a 33.9 percent boost in January of new listings – a bit of a surprise considering that projects such as the new Hanna Heights (to be followed by Chelsea Heights) went from condo to rentals. For some context, new listings for stand-alone houses increased by just 3.4 percent in January.