Puna home sales fall following storm, lava

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HONOLULU — Mother Nature is taking a toll on home sales in the Puna District on the Big Island.

HONOLULU — Mother Nature is taking a toll on home sales in the Puna District on the Big Island.

The Honolulu Star-Advertiser reports home sales in September fell almost 23 percent in Puna following Tropic Storm Iselle and a lava flow that continues toward Pahoa.

The decline in Puna contributed to a decline on the rest of the Hawaii Island by nearly the same number, according Hawaii Island Realtors, an industry organization that tracks sales.

Real estate officials say that while sales are down, the price of homes is going up.

Home prices in Puna increased on average from $175,000 in September 2013 to $210,000 last month.