The number of homes that resold in the greater Phoenix area rose for the 12th consecutive month in November, DataQuick said Friday.

When reviewing property sales in the combined Maricopa-Pinal counties, the data firm said 7,766 new and resale homes and condos closed in escrow. That is down 3.5% from October, but up 9% from last year, DataQuick said. Maricopa houses the city of Phoenix, and is the fourth-most populous county in the country with more than 3 million residents.

Sales of home priced between $100,000 and $200,000 rose the most in the region, with closings jumping 11.4% from a year ago.

Closings on homes sold for less than $100,000 increased 4.6% year-over-year, while sales of homes priced from $200,000 to $600,000 grew a slight 0.7%.

In addition, sales of homes worth more than $800,000 rose 4.9% from last year, suggesting renewed interest in luxury homes when compared to mid-level sales.

November’s median sales price was at its highest point in a year, hitting $127,500.

Investors and vacation homebuyers acquired 43.4% of the Phoenix areas homes sold during the month, paying a median price of $103,000, up slightly from $102,000 a year earlier.

Cash buyers represented 40.8% of all November sales, up from 40.3% last year, according to DataQuick. Those buyers paid a median price of $96,000, up from $88,500 in October and $95,000 a year ago.

Cash buyers and investors leaned towards distressed properties. Foreclosure resales represented 38.5% of November sales, while short-sales made up 15.9% of all resale activity.

During the month, lenders foreclosed on 3,307 homes, up 16.2% from October and 9.5% higher than a year earlier.

Write to Kerri Panchuk.