• Median listing price: $185,900
• Average days on market: 23

Stockton, Calif., was hit hard by the housing bust, and many people lost their homes to foreclosure.

But now, "[t]he foreclosure pipeline is drying up," said Leslie Appleton-Young, chief economist for the California Association of Realtors.

Related: Million dollar foreclosures

While bank-owned properties still account for more than half of all sales, it's a vast improvement from the first years of the bust when they accounted for 80% or more, she said.

The shift means that house hunters won't find quite the bargains of a few years ago, and listing prices are up more than 16% in the past 12 months.

"The market still has a long way to go, but it's healing," she said.

NEXT: San Jose, Calif.