Foreclosures down in January, but surge on way? By Adrian Sainz, AP Real Estate 02-10-2010

Foreclosures down in January, but surge on way? By Adrian Sainz, AP Real Estate 02-10-2010

Foreclosures down in January, but surge on way?
By Adrian Sainz
AP Real Estate
February 10, 2010

The number of U.S. households facing foreclosure in January increased 15 percent from the same month last year, and a surge in cash-strapped homeowners who've fallen behind on mortgages could be on the way.

More than 315,000 households received a foreclosure-related notice in January, RealtyTrac Inc. reported Thursday. That number is down nearly 10 percent from 349,000 in December, which saw the third highest total since the company began tracking foreclosure data in 2005.

In January, one in 409 homes were sent a filing, which includes default notices, scheduled foreclosure auctions and bank repossessions. Banks repossessed more than 87,000 homes last month, down 5 percent from December but still up 31 percent from January 2009.

January marked the 11th straight month with more than 300,000 properties receiving a foreclosure filing. The numbers could stay above that level as unemployed homeowners who have tried to keep up with their mortgages finally start missing monthly payments.

Mortgage financier Fannie Mae reported in late January that the rate of borrowers who have a conventional loan on a house and are seriously delinquent was 5.29 percent in November, more than doubling the rate of 2.13 percent in November 2008. Borrowers are considered seriously delinquent if they are past due by three months or more, or are in foreclosure.

"There's a lot of foreclosures in the pipeline, and the number is going to continue to get bigger," said Patrick Newport, an economist with IHS Global Insight.

Last month's foreclosure activity followed a pattern similar to that of a year ago, when a double-digit percentage increase in December was followed by a 10 percent drop in January.

The dip in January's numbers may be due to processing delays by lenders during the end-of-year holidays, said Rick Sharga, senior vice president of RealtyTrac, which is based in Irvine, Calif.

"I don't think it's an early sign of the coming of the end of the foreclosure crisis," Sharga said.

A record 2.8 million households were threatened with foreclosure last year, and the numbers are expected to rise to between 3 and 3.5 million homes this year, RealtyTrac said.

Slowing the foreclosure rate is a key step in the recovery of the real estate market and the overall economy. The foreclosure crisis forced the federal government and several states to come up with plans to prevent or delay the process to help delinquent borrowers.

Foreclosed homes are usually sold at steep discounts, so they often lower the value of surrounding properties. Cities lose property tax dollars from foreclosure homes that sit empty and from declining home values, straining local economies. Home prices have stabilized in some cities, but are still down 30 percent nationally from mid-2006.

Economic issues, such as unemployment or reduced income, are expected to be the main catalysts for foreclosures this year. Initially, subprime mortgages were mostly the culprit, but homeowners with good credit who took out conventional, fixed-rate loans are the fastest growing group of foreclosures.

Among states, Nevada posted the nation's highest foreclosure rate, followed by Arizona, California, Florida and Utah. Rounding out the top 10 were Idaho, Michigan, Illinois, Oregon and Georgia.

The metro area with the highest foreclosure rate in January was Las Vegas, with one in every 82 homes receiving a foreclosure filing. It was followed by Phoenix and the California cities of Modesto, Stockton, and Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario.

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Thanx

Thanx again Joe. This really narrows it down well.

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Best Regards,
Anita
(Licensed Realtor-Military Vet-9/11Vet)
****
A self-directed realization for 2014 is to:
Live life as if always on vacation and have all the good health, time, & wealth to enjoy it.
Work, only when and IF desired. Helping others do the same. It Pay$ To Connect!
Always In Gratitude.....


Thank you for posting these

Thank you for posting these inputs. I have read the last few you posted and they are great pieces of information. With so many people out there who are hurting it almost sets a sense of purpose to help as many of those families as possible. The reward is knowing you may have saved a family from harder times to come, and been able to secure your future in the process. Awesome.
Thanks again. I hope all is well with you and your family.

Richard
Bothell, WA

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Know what truely matters in life, consume yourself with that, and you shall never be disappointed, afraid, or alone. Give your gratitude always, give respect to everyone, and you shall never be anything less than what matters the most. Give praise to the Lord, forgive yourself and others, and with all of this together you will get a taste of what heavens lie ahead.


MxChica ,

Thanks for the additional comments. I believe the more we understand the real estate market the better positon we can be in to find the deal. Good luck with real estate investing. Believe and Achieve! Smiling - Joe

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Richard,

Thanks for your additional comments and insight. The great thing about real estate is we can create win-win transactions to help people. The more people we help the better it will be in our neighborhoods and communties for all. It is a nice feeling to be able to do what we can as real estate investors. Good luck on all your future deals. Believe and Achieve! Smiling - Joe

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