Foreclosures and short sales in theUnited Statestotaled less than a million transactions in 2012, according to a leading foreclosure listing firm, down significantly from the previous two years.

RealtyTrac reported 947, 995 homes in some stage of foreclosure were sold nationwide last year, down 6 percent from 2011 and down 11 percent from 2010. Also, distressed sales made up just 21 percent of all home sales, down from 23 percent of all sales in 2011 and down from 28 percent in 2010.

The firm reported that pre-foreclosure sales actually rose 6 percent from the previous year, but that was more than balanced by a 15-percent drop in the sales of bank-owned homes.