Phoenix-area home sales surged in March, rising more than usual from February and posting a year-over-year gain for the third consecutive month as sales to absentee buyers hit a new high. The median sale price fell below the year-ago level for the ninth consecutive month, reflecting weakness in pricing, higher sales of condos and other sub-$100,000 homes, and extraordinarily slow sales for newly built homes, which are typically more expensive, a real estate information service reported.