House sales were up in January compared with the same time last year, the Des Moines Area Association of Realtors said today. There were 567 sales last month, a 15 percent increase from December and a rise from 482 in January 2013. The number of houses for sale in January dropped 1.5 percent to 3,300. Pending sales also were on the rise in January, with contracts written to purchase 886 houses, compared with 658 in December and 783 in January 2013.