REAL ESTATE

Southern California Home Sales Fall 20%: Second-quarter sales were off nearly 28% in Orange and San Diego counties, 26.3% in Ventura County, 16.2% in Los Angeles County, 14.7% in San Bernardino County and 14.2% in Riverside County, said TRW Redi Property Data, a real estate information company in Riverside. Home sales in Southern California have declined for six straight months, raising fears that the region’s housing market could slip back into recession, TRW analyst Nima Nattaugh said. Real estate statisticians said the number of foreclosed homes dumped on the market at ever-lower prices was a factor in the declines. Dataquick figures show that bank repossessions of homes in California remain nearly at the peak levels set two years ago.