Cash sales dropped ever closer to the pre-crisis norm of 25 percent in July, falling from 34.2 percent 12 months earlier to 30.8 percent, according to a new report from CoreLogic.

With traditional financing becoming a more realistic option for first-time buyers and older homeowners looking to re-enter the market, cash sales have fallen steadily since their peak in Jan. 2011, when cash transactions accounted for 46.5 percent of total home purchases.

CoreLogic’s researchers estimate that at the current rate of decline, cash sales share should hit the 25 percent mark by mid-2017.

In Houston, cash sales continued to decline towards the pre-crisis norm, falling nearly 4 percentage points year-over-year to 28.2 percent, which is similar to the state, where cash sales share is at 29 percent.