U.S. home sales are at an eight-year high, according to a report released today. Based on sales deeds, housing data provider RealtyTrac found that a total of 1,344,129 single-family homes and condos sold in the first six months of 2015. The number of transactions is the highest for the first half of any year since 2007. "Housing is successfully transitioning from an investor-driven recovery to one that is drawing in traditional buyers as a good foundation for sustainable growth going forward," said in a statement Daren Blomquist, vice president at the California-based RealtyTrac. The U.S. median home price also hit a record of $189,500 in July, up 2% from a year ago and the highest level since September 2008. Still, Blomquist warned of persistent challenges, including a lack of housing affordability in high-end markets, "overdependence of capricious cash buyers (both foreign and domestic)" and the default risk from underwater properties. For most metro areas, though, it is boom times. Out of 190 markets analyzed by RealtyTrac, 124, or 65%, reached an eight-year high in homes sales through the first half of the year. Topping the list is the Los Angeles-Long Beach-Santa Ana, California metro area, which had 46,590 transactions from January through June 2015. Over the same period in 2008, the area recorded 22,528 sales. We searched for properties in the top 10 metro areas with record home sales and found enticing estates that would attract deep-pocket buyers:Los Angeles; Phoenix, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Denver, Detroit, Seattle, Tampa and Riverside-San Bernardino. Read the full report. Write to Andrea López Cruzado at andrea.lopez@dowjones.com Follow Mansion Global on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram Write to us at info@mansionglobal.com