The median sales price for all homes in Sacramento County in December was $183,000.
That was up 18% from December of 2011 and it was the highest year-over-year increase in a while.
"You have to go back to August 2005 when the median was up 22.9%."
Andrew LePage is with DataQuick - the research firm that
released the numbers.
He says one reason for the increase is that the stock of
foreclosed homes, which tend to sell at deep discounts, is
disappearing.
"In December 2011 about 43% of Sacramento County's resale
market was foreclosed properties. This past December it was down to
16%."
The DataQuick figures show a record 42% of all homes sold in
Sacramento County last month went to absentee buyers or people who
don't live in the area and are buying, for the most part, to either
quickly resell or "flip" a home or rent it out.