Texas foreclosure sale rates below the 2010 national average

The Texas real estate climate continues to be better than the national market, as the sales of Houston foreclosures continue to be lower than average.

According to RealtyTrac, foreclosure sales are 25.96 percent of all home sales nationwide. The average for the state of Texas is 12.88 percent. This is reassuring for prospective Houston-area residents, as it may show the housing market improving in the area.

Despite this, the national average is still struggling. James J. Saccacio, chief executive officer of RealtyTrac said that while foreclosures are still prevalent, they continue to sell for less than the average price. With less consumer demand, market will be sluggish.

Saccacio added, "The catch-22 for 2011 is that while accelerating foreclosure sales will help clear the oversupply of distressed properties and return balance to the market in the long run, in the short term a high percentage of foreclosure sales will continue to weigh down home prices."

Texas’ numbers are far lower than some other states. For example, foreclosures made up 57 percent of sales in Nevada. Sales of Houston foreclosures are actually more common that the rest of the state. According to the Houston Association of Realtors, they made up more than 20 percent of local home sales in January.