The median price of a house sold in Greater Des Moines increased $5,000 in December, marking a “perfect way to end the year,” according to the Des Moines Area Association of Realtors. “This is great news for our local economy,” said Scott Wendl, president of the association, in a release. “Not only is December’s median price up over months past, but the year-end median price is up over $10,000 from a year ago” Wendl said. “That means we’ve had four straight years of increased values.” The association’s report shows that 590 contracts were written in December and 795 contracts closed. In 2013, 10,820 contracts closed, a 17 percent increase from 2012. There were 3,765 active listings last month.