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Sales of existing homes rose 6.5 percent nationally to an annual rate of 4.74 million in December, from a downwardly revised pace of 4.45 million in November, the National Association of Realtors said. That trend applies for Louisville, Kentucky, as well. Prices are dropping on homes, buyers are waiting for the bottom to show, and banks, mortgage companies and realtors are working hard to find ways in which to put more people into new homes.