CHICAGO—Homes across the metro region have started selling at a quicker pace this year, and that includes those selling for $1 million or more. In fact, these luxury sales in Chicagoland reached a post-Great Recession high during the second quarter. Furthermore, the sales are no longer just occurring in the wealthiest enclaves and have spread over a much wider geographic area, according to the quarterly RE/MAX Luxury Report on Metro Chicago Real Estate.

The company pegged second quarter luxury sales at 737 units, 20% more than during the same period last year and the most second-quarter sales since RE/MAX began tracking the data in 2009.

The median sales price for these luxury homes was $1,350,000 during the second quarter, unchanged from 2014. RE/MAX analyzes all luxury home sales in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kendall, Lake, McHenry and Will counties.

While prices in this segment were fairly stable, the geography of the luxury home market has started to expand.

“As prices have recovered there are more luxury listings on the market, with some of these owners determined to cash out and,” price-wise at least, “downgrade their housing,” Jim Merrion, regional director of the Elgin, IL-based RE/MAX Northern Illinois real estate network, tells GlobeSt.com.

“Given the strengthening economy and strong demand we are seeing for luxury properties, it's not surprising that more areas are attracting significant numbers of buyers ready to spend $1 million or more,” he adds. “Financing is readily available if you have good credit and a solid down-payment,” about 25%, “and jumbo loans are particularly attractive from the perspective of low rate and reasonable finance fees and closing costs.”

In Chicago, for example, the Near South Side recorded 13 sales of luxury attached homes for the quarter and has already had 20 this year, a sharp contrast with the single luxury transaction in the area during the first half of 2011 and 2012 and just five in 2013.

Luxury detached sales in the city's Lincoln Square neighborhood more than doubled to 14 so far this year, including nine in the second quarter. Only six such sales occurred during the first six months of 2014 and four or fewer during the first half of the three previous years.

And buyers looking for expensive homes have started showing up more often in the suburbs. Naperville had 19 luxury sales in the first half of this year, including 14 in the second quarter, giving it more of this activity than such affluent markets as Barrington and Highland Park.

Overall, the suburbs recorded 401 luxury home sales during the second quarter, a 15% increase over the same period last year. The median sales price was $1,280,000, down slightly from $1,315,000 a year earlier, while the average market time was 153 days, up from 139 last year.

Winnetka remained the most active suburban market for luxury homes, with 51 second-quarter sales at a median price of $1,550,000, and Hinsdale followed with 40 sales at a median price of $1,377,750. Tied for third in sales with 34 sales during the quarter were Lake Forest, with a median price of $1,337,500, and Wilmette, where the median price was $1,252,500.

Chicago recorded 336 luxury sales for the quarter, 25% more than a year earlier. There were 185 detached sales with a median price of $1,450,000, and 151 attached sales at a median of $1,400,000. Detached sales were up 38%; attached sales rose 13%.

Buyers were also more active in the North Center neighborhood, which for the first time topped Lincoln Park in closed transactions with 44 at a median price of $1,350,000. Lincoln Park had 43 sales during the quarter at a median price of $1,725,000.The Near North Side remained the dominant market for luxury attached sales, with 90 transactions closing at a median price of $1,416,000.