Home-sale agreements in the Indianapolis area climbed nearly 10 percent in July, the F.C. Tucker Co. said Wednesday.

Purchase agreements in the nine-county area totaled 2,219 during the month, a 9.7-percent increase over July 2011.

Year-to-date, sales contracts are up 14.3 percent.

“As we move further into the third quarter, we are encouraged by the direction of the market,” F.C. Tucker President Jim Litten said in a prepared statement. “Home sales and home prices continue to grow—necessary factors for market stabilization.”

In Marion County, July sales agreements increased 12.4 percent, from 833 a year ago to 936 this year. Year-to-date sales in the county are up 14 percent.

Johnson County saw 205 sales contracts signed in July, a 9.6-percent increase, while pending sales in Hamilton County rose 8.4 percent, to 475.

The number of purchase agreements dipped 5.6 percent last month in Hendricks County and even more, 20.5 percent, in Hancock County.

Available homes for sale in the nine-county region dropped 12.7 percent in July, with 13,655 homes on the market, 1,995 fewer than in July 2011.

Overall year-to-date sale prices for the nine-county area increased by 2.5 percent, to $154,975.

Existing home sales in central Indiana have shown year-over-year improvement for 15 straight months.