The Snohomish County housing market seems to be saying one thing: Recovery is coming. It’s just not here quite yet.

Home sales stayed the course in August, with listings and median prices down from 2008 and pending sales increasing.

That means trends mostly held steady through spring and summer months, real estate’s prime selling time.

“A healthy, balanced market is in everyone’s best interest, and the August report tells us we’re definitely getting closer,” said Ron Sparks, managing vice president for brokerage Coldwell Banker Bain.

Snohomish County’s pending sales — where offers were made but transactions hadn’t closed — were up 28 percent over August 2008, according to data released Friday by the Northwest Multiple Listing Service.

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