by Calculated Risk on 10/16/2013 03:29:00 PM

From DataQuick: Southland Median Sale Price Dips Month-to-Month, Still Up Sharply From Yr Ago

Southern California home sales in September fell more than usual from August but rose modestly above a year earlier as sales gains for mid- to high-priced properties compensated for declines in sub-$300,000 activity. ... A total of 19,112 new and resale houses and condos sold in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, Ventura, San Bernardino and Orange counties last month. That was down 17.1 percent from 23,057 sales in August, and up 7.0 percent from 17,859 sales in September 2012, according to San Diego-based DataQuick.

Last month’s sales were 19.9 percent below the average number of sales – 23,862 – in the month of September. Southland sales haven’t been above average for any particular month in more than seven years. September sales have ranged from a low of 12,455 in September 2007 to high of 37,771 in September 2003.

In September, foreclosure resales – homes foreclosed on in the prior 12 months – accounted for 6.3 percent of the Southland resale market. That was down from a revised 6.9 percent the month before and down from 16.6 percent a year earlier. Last month’s foreclosure resale rate was the lowest since it was 5.5 percent in May 2007. In the current cycle, foreclosure resales hit a high of 56.7 percent in February 2009.

Short sales – transactions where the sale price fell short of what was owed on the property – made up an estimated 13.1 percent of Southland resales last month. That was the lowest level since it was 12.9 percent in May 2009. Last month’s short sale figure was down from an estimated 13.3 percent the month before and down from 28.0 percent a year earlier.

Absentee buyers – mostly investors and some second-home purchasers – bought 26.3 percent of the Southland homes sold last month, which is the lowest share for any month since it was 25.1 percent in November 2011. Last month’s level was down from a revised 26.7 percent the month before and down from 27.7 percent a year earlier. The absentee share has ratcheted down gradually each month this year since hitting a record 32.4 percent in January.
emphasis added

This continues to move in the right direction (fewer distressed sales, fewer absentee buyers).