RealtyTrac®, an online marketplace for foreclosure properties, released its U.S. Foreclosure Market Report™ for April 2010, which shows that foreclosure filings — default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions — were reported on 333,837 properties in April, a 9 percent decrease from the previous month and a 2 percent decrease from April 2009. One in every 387 U.S. housing units received a foreclosure filing during the month.
“There were two important milestones in the April numbers that show foreclosure activity has begun to plateau — but at a very high level that will not drop off in the near future,” said James J. Saccacio, chief executive officer of RealtyTrac. “April was the first month in the history of our report with an annual decrease in U.S. foreclosure activity. Secondly, bank repossessions, or REOs, hit a record monthly high for the report even while default notices dropped substantially on a monthly and annual basis. We expect a similar pattern to continue for most of this year, with the overall numbers staying at a high level and ripples of activity hitting the various stages of the foreclosure process as lenders systematically work through the backlog of distressed properties.”
Foreclosure Activity by Type
During the month a total of 103,762 properties received default notices (NOD, LIS), a decrease of 12 percent from the previous month and a decrease of 27 percent from April 2009 — when default activity peaked at more than 142,000.
Foreclosure auctions (NTS, NFS) were scheduled for the first time on a total of 137,643 properties during the month, a decrease of 13 percent from the previous month — when auction activity peaked with more than 158,000 properties scheduled for auction for the first time. Auction activity was up 1 percent from April 2009.
Bank repossessions (REOs) hit a record monthly high for the report in April, with a total of 92,432 properties repossessed by lenders during the month — an increase of 1 percent from the previous month and an increase of 45 percent from April 2009. Bank repossessions were less than 1 percent above their previous peak of 92,182 in December 2009.
Five states account for more than 50 percent of national total
California, Florida, Michigan, Illinois and Nevada accounted for 52 percent of the national total. California led the way, with 69,725 properties receiving a foreclosure filing — although that total was down 25 percent from the previous month and down nearly 28 percent from April 2009.
California posted the nation’s fourth highest foreclosure rate, with one in every 192 housing units receiving a foreclosure filing, and Utah posted the nation’s fifth highest foreclosure rate, with one in every 221 housing units receiving a foreclosure filing.
Foreclosure activity in Modesto, Calif., decreased 32 percent from April 2009, but the metro still posted the nation’s second highest foreclosure rate, with one in every 101 housing units receiving a foreclosure filing during the month. Other California cities in the top 10 were Merced at No. 3 (one in every 104 housing units); Stockton at No. 5 (one in 108); Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario at No. 6 (one in 110); Vallejo-Fairfield at No. 8 (one in 117); and Bakersfield at No. 9 (one in 120).
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