Briefly

* Sales of million-dollar homes in California eased back a notch during the third quarter from the record-setting second quarter, according to DataQuick Information Systems. Even so, the number of sales was up 53.4% from the same period a year ago.

* Buyer demand brought on by improving economic conditions, low mortgage rates and strong housing prices boosted builder confidence to its highest level of the year in October, according to the latest National Assn. of Home Builders/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index.