Mass. Home Sales Drop In December

There's some lackluster news for the Massachusetts housing market.

Realty tracking firm The Warren Group says sales dropped 5 percent in December 2011, compared to the same time in 2010.

But, in a separate survey, data from the Massachusetts Association of Realtors show that sales were largely flat from the year before.

MAR President Trisha McCarthy says she's optimistic the market will pick up.

"As long as interest [rates] remain low, and nothing crazy happens in the world of financing, I think we'll see continued small improvements," she said.

Home prices also fell more than 3 percent last month, according to both groups.