Housing: Cash Sales Continue Year-over-Year Retreat

``Cash sales made up 31.9 percent of total home sales in May 2015, down from 35.1 percent in May 2014 and continuing a 29 month streak of year-over-year decreases dating back to January 2013.   Month over month, the cash sales share fell by 1.7 percentage points.  According to CoreLogic seasonality in the housing market means that comparisons should be made on a year-over-year basis. The national share of cash sales is highest for sales of lender-owned real estate (REO), accounting for 56.1 percent of those sales and reflecting the high level of investor involvement in that sector.  REO represents a shrinking portion of the overall home market, only 6.4 percent in May, and thus has a lessening impact on the total cash percentage'' -- The rising dollar is probably responsible as well, in making the US a less attractive destination for foreign buyers...