Overall home sales rose 65 percent in the Coachella Valley in September, according to DataQuick Information Systems.

Largely responsible for the sales were resale single-family homes, which rose 151 percent compared to September 2007. Resale condos were up 16.5 percent, but new homes were down about 17 percent.

Drops in median prices helped homebuyers afford the homes. The valley's overall median home price dropped 38 percent in September. The priciest home sold was a $2.49 million single-family home in La Quinta.

Nearly every valley city or area saw a larger percentage of homes sell in September compared to the previous year. Coachella led the way, with 1,025 percent more homes selling. Indio, with 111 homes sold, saw a 455 percent uptick.

Other large gainers included Desert Hot Springs (447 percent), Bermuda Dunes (362 percent), Cathedral City (164 percent) and Palm Desert (the 92260 ZIP code rose 100 percent).