HOUSING GETS MORE AFFORDABLE.(Business)

Byline: James Denn Business writer

It was easier for a family earning the median income of $39,079 to buy a house in Albany County in August, but slightly lower prices still weren't enough to qualify that family for a median-priced home, a trade group said Friday.

Albany's Housing Affordability Index inched up two notches from July to 97, the Albany County Board of Realtors said. This means that the family earning the median income has 97 percent of the money necessary to buy a median-priced house in Albany County.

The median home price in Albany County was $119,411 in August, a drop from the July price of $120,332.

The median means half …