South Bay homebuyers returned to the sidelines in April after a brief sales boomlet in March, but there were some encouraging signs that the housing market was stabilizing, according to a report released Monday.

Right now, “buyers are absolutely in no hurry to buy,” said Cathy Warshawsky of mortgage broker Bay Area Loan, who is also treasurer of the California Association of Mortgage Professionals.

Still, there were some hints of a housing market returning to stability: Sales in each of the past three months have topped the previous month. Adjustable-rate mortgages and jumbo loans, which are key in the region’s high-priced home market, are used in an increasing percentage of home sales. And sales of bank-owned homes, a sign of a distressed housing market, are down.

Pete Carey at San Jose Mercury News on May 16, 2011