Q3 2021 U.S. Foreclosure Activity Begins To See Significant Increases As Foreclosure Moratorium Is Lifted

Average Time to Foreclose Nationwide Increases 11 Percent From a Year Ago; U.S. Foreclosure Starts Increase 67 Percent From a Year Ago

Irvine, CA – Oct. 14, 2021 (PRNewswire) ATTOM, licensor of the nation’s most comprehensive foreclosure data and parent company to RealtyTrac (www.realtytrac.com), the largest online marketplace for foreclosure and distressed properties, releasedits Q3 2021 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, which shows there were a total of 45,517 U.S. properties with foreclosure filings — default notices, scheduled auctions or bank repossessions — up 34 percent from the previous quarter and 68 percent from a year ago.

The report also shows there were a total of 19,609 U.S. properties with foreclosure filings in September 2021, up 24 percent from the previous month and up 102 percent from September 2020.

“Despite the increased level of foreclosure activity in September, we’re still far below historically normal numbers,” said Rick Sharga, executive vice president at RealtyTrac, an ATTOM company. “September foreclosure actions were almost 70 percent lower than they were prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in September of 2019, and Q3 foreclosure activity was 60 percent lower than the same quarter that year. Even with similar increases in foreclosures over the next few months, we’ll end the year significantly below what we’d see in a normal housing market.”

Foreclosure starts jump up nationwide
Lenders started the foreclosure process on 25,209 U.S. properties in Q3 2021, up 32 percent from the previous quarter and up 67 percent from a year ago — the first double digit quarterly percent increase since 2014.

U.S. Foreclosure Starts

States that posted the greatest number of foreclosure starts in Q3 2021, included California (3,434 foreclosure starts); Texas (2,827 foreclosure starts); Florida (2,546 foreclosure starts); New York (1,363 foreclosure starts); and Illinois (1,362 foreclosure starts).

Among the 220 metropolitan statistical areas analyzed in the report those that posted the greatest number of foreclosure starts in Q3 2021, included New York, New York (1,456 foreclosure starts); Chicago, Illinois (1,122 foreclosure starts); Los Angeles, California (1,102 foreclosure starts); Miami, Florida (992 foreclosure starts); and Houston, Texas (866 foreclosure starts).

Counter to the national trend of quarterly increases, among those metropolitan areas with a population greater than one million that saw a decline in foreclosure starts in Q3 2021 were Charlotte, North Carolina (down 32 percent); Portland, Oregon (down 26 percent); Rochester, New York (down 17 percent); San Jose, California (down 13 percent); and Hartford, Connecticut (down 6 percent).

“So far the government and the mortgage industry have worked together to do an extraordinary job of preventing millions of unnecessary foreclosures using the foreclosure moratorium and mortgage forbearance program,” Sharga added. “But there are hundreds of thousands of borrowers scheduled to exit forbearance in the next two months, and it’s possible that we might see a higher percentage of those borrowers default on their loans.”

Highest foreclosure rates in Nevada, Illinois and Delaware
Nationwide one in every 3,019 properties had a foreclosure filing in Q3 2021. States with the highest foreclosure rates in Q3 2021 were Nevada (one in every 1,463 housing units with a foreclosure filing); Illinois (one in every 1,465); Delaware (one in every 1,515); New Jersey (one in every 1,667); and Florida (one in every 1,743).

Among 220 metropolitan statistical areas analyzed in the report, those with the highest foreclosure rates in Q3 2021 were Atlantic City, New Jersey (one in every 709 housing units with a foreclosure filing); Peoria, Illinois (one in every 754); Bakersfield, CA (one in every 923); Cleveland, Ohio (one in every 936); and Las Vegas, Nevada (one in every 1,167).

Bank repossessions increase nationwide
Lenders repossessed 7,574 U.S. properties through foreclosure (REO) in Q3 2021, up 22 percent from the previous quarter and up 46 percent from a year ago the first quarterly increase since Q1 2016.

U.S. Completed Foreclosures (REOs)

States that posted the largest number of completed foreclosures in Q3 2021, included Illinois (965 REOs); Florida (564 REOs); Pennsylvania (480 REOs); Michigan (401 REOs); and New York (370 REOs).

Average time to foreclose increases 11 percent from last year
Properties foreclosed in Q3 2021 had been in the foreclosure process an average of 924 days, up slightly from 922 days in the previous quarter but up 11 percent from 830 days in Q3 2020.

Average Days to Complete Foreclosure

States with the longest average foreclosure timelines for homes foreclosed in Q3 2021 were Hawaii (2,070 days); Nevada (1,989 days); Kansas (1,901 days); New York (1,659 days); and Washington (1,611 days).

States with the shortest average foreclosure timelines for homes foreclosed in Q3 2021 were Montana (94 days); Wyoming (102 days); Mississippi (133 days); Missouri (213 days); and Virginia (272 days).

September 2021 Foreclosure Activity High-Level Takeaways

  • Nationwide in September 2021 one in every 7,008 properties had a foreclosure filing.
  • States with the highest foreclosure rates in September 2021 were Florida (one in every 3,276 housing units with a foreclosure filing); Illinois (one in every 3,508 housing units); Delaware (one in every 3,834 housing units); Nevada (one in every 4,009 housing units); and New Jersey (one in every 4,487 housing units).
  • 10,289 U.S. properties started the foreclosure process in September 2021, up 23 percent from the previous month and up 106 percent from a year ago.
  • Lenders completed the foreclosure process on 2,682 U.S. properties in September 2021, up 8 percent from the previous month and up 33 percent from a year ago.

U.S. Foreclosure Market Data by State – Q3 2021

Rate RankState NameTotal Properties with Filings1/every X HU (Foreclosure Rate)%∆ Q2 2021%∆ Q3 2020
U.S.45,5173,01934.0268.48
14Alabama7273,102-7.8764.00
23Alaska823,83720.6156.62
34Arizona5565,40236.2192.68
39Arkansas2375,78231.3962.96
9California6,1112,320112.35143.92
42Colorado3616,61125.7386.65
10Connecticut6012,52441.58132.52
3Delaware2861,51552.94188.89
District of Columbia2612,12238.19106.91
5Florida5,4211,743-0.5620.04
16Georgia1,2523,42145.16136.84
24Hawaii1354,02068.9758.06
43Idaho987,38440.14107.43
2Illinois3,6591,46534.36151.31
7Indiana1,4352,01221.8528.46
12Iowa4742,947306.0298.24
22Kansas3373,778-7.56-33.73
40Kentucky3306,0126.3216.26
20Louisiana5723,6012.931.44
17Maine2113,52060.8127.38
11Maryland8702,81416.90700.00
28Massachusetts6644,363108.23226.10
30Michigan1,0374,43265.13142.59
41Minnesota3936,20419.120.00
35Mississippi2435,44426.7948.60
25Missouri6914,0389.6825.93
47Montana3415,005-12.7110.75
44Nebraska1038,13113.251,055.41
1Nevada8551,46331.0367.65
36New Hampshire1145,56836.6799.36
4New Jersey2,1691,66731.201.32
13New Mexico3073,05540.8672.51
26New York2,0584,04421.8730.47
19North Carolina1,2933,57955.56180.00
46North Dakota2813,32424.1982.32
6Ohio2,5982,00222.4316.29
21Oklahoma4643,732-44.3975.38
48Oregon11415,51716.4223.68
31Pennsylvania1,2694,4869.6821.43
32Rhode Island1024,59217.2512.02
8South Carolina1,0812,115-19.0588.89
50South Dakota1722,857104.9748.52
27Tennessee7014,22854.2639.19
18Texas3,0763,55667.3948.08
33Utah2314,706158.33675.00
45Vermont3110,80645.0717.49
38Virginia6185,68669.23252.56
37Washington5505,648-24.5360.00
49West Virginia4022,30555.9191.30
15Wisconsin7923,40234.0485.29
29Wyoming634,394-7.8764.00

Report Methodology
The ATTOM U.S. Foreclosure Market Report provides a count of the total number of properties with at least one foreclosure filing entered into the ATTOM Data Warehouse during the month and quarter. Some foreclosure filings entered into the database during the quarter may have been recorded in the previous quarter. Data is collected from more than 3,000 counties nationwide, and those counties account for more than 99 percent of the U.S. population. ATTOM’s report incorporates documents filed in all three phases of foreclosure: Default — Notice of Default (NOD) and Lis Pendens (LIS); Auction — Notice of Trustee Sale and Notice of Foreclosure Sale (NTS and NFS); and Real Estate Owned, or REO properties (that have been foreclosed on and repurchased by a bank). For the annual, midyear and quarterly reports, if more than one type of foreclosure document is received for a property during the timeframe, only the most recent filing is counted in the report. The annual, midyear, quarterly and monthly reports all check if the same type of document was filed against a property previously. If so, and if that previous filing occurred within the estimated foreclosure timeframe for the state where the property is located, the report does not count the property in the current year, quarter or month.

Interested in finding out more about our pre-foreclosure and foreclosure data?

Contact ATTOM for Foreclosure Data Licensing Details.
Visit RealtyTrac.com for Foreclosure Search and Listings.

About ATTOM
ATTOM provides foreclosure data licenses that can power various enterprise industries including real estate, insurance, marketing, government, mortgage and more. ATTOM multi-sources from 3,000 counties property tax, deed, mortgage, environmental risk, natural hazard, and neighborhood data for more than 155 million U.S. residential and commercial properties covering 99 percent of the nation’s population.  

About RealtyTrac (Powered by ATTOM’s Property Data) 
RealtyTrac.com is the largest online marketplace for foreclosure and distressed properties, helping individual investors and real estate agents looking to gain a competitive edge in the distressed market. Realtytrac.com enables real estate professionals the ability to find, analyze and invest in residential properties.

Media Contact:
Christine Stricker
949.748.8428
christine.stricker@attomdata.com 

Data and Report Licensing:
949.502.8313
datareports@attomdata.com

SOURCE ATTOM

How to Buy a Foreclosed Home Without Getting Burned

Buying a foreclosed home can be a good way to score a deal, but it comes with risks. Here’s what to do to make it less of a gamble.

Buying a foreclosed home can be a good way to score a deal while hunting for real estate. A foreclosure is a house whose owners were unable to pay the mortgage or sell the property. As a result, the real estate lender assumed ownership and is now trying to sell it to recoup some of its costs. While foreclosure isn’t as common today as it was during the height of the real estate crisis in 2008, it does still happen. Currently, according to RealtyTrac, 1 in 13,000 homes ends up in foreclosure. In states with the highest foreclosure frequency, such as Maryland and New Jersey, that ratio is 1 in about 550 homes. That’s a lot of foreclosed homes.

While foreclosure is hardly a pretty story for the home’s previous owners, it can be a bargain bonanza for buyers. Since banks are often eager to unload these foreclosure properties, they aim to break even with an asking price that’s typically the sum of the remaining mortgage note plus interest, lawyer fees, and penalties. On average, this ends up totaling about 15% below the home’s actual value—and if you want to buy a foreclosure, you’ll find it often sells for less than asking price. But buying a foreclosed home does come with risks, so buyers should proceed with caution to see if the gamble is worth it.

Learn more in this video from the realtor.com YouTube channel.

May Foreclosure Starts Up 36 Percent Year-Over-Year

ATTOM’s RealtyTrac Launches New, Enhanced Platform for Investors and Real Estate Agents Looking for Foreclosure Information

Irvine, CA – June 15, 2021 (PRNewswire) ATTOM, licensor of the nation’s most comprehensive foreclosure data and parent company to RealtyTrac (www.realtytrac.com), the largest online marketplace for foreclosure and distressed properties, released its May 2021 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, which shows there were a total of 10,821 U.S. properties with foreclosure filings — default notices, scheduled auctions or bank repossessions — down 8 percent from a month ago but up 23 percent from a year ago. Foreclosure starts, which represent the initial notice of default, grew by 36 percent year-over-year.

“While the increase in foreclosure activity is significant, it’s important to keep these numbers in perspective,” said RealtyTrac Executive Vice President Rick Sharga. “Last year’s numbers were extraordinarily low due to the implementation of the foreclosure moratorium and the CARES Act mortgage forbearance program, so the year-over-year numbers look a lot more dramatic than they are. And May foreclosure activity actually declined compared to April.”

The ATTOM May 2021 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report shows that nationwide one in every 12,700 housing units had a foreclosure filing. States with the highest foreclosure rates in May 2021 were Nevada (one in every 5,535 housing units with a foreclosure filing); Delaware (one in every 5,854 housing units); Illinois (one in every 5,903 housing units); Florida (one in every 7,207 housing units); and New Jersey (one in every 7,679 housing units).

Other high-level takeaways from the ATTOM May 2021 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report:

– Among the 220 metro areas with a population of at least 200,000, those with the highest foreclosure rates in May 2021 were Champaign, IL (one in every 2,420 housing units with a foreclosure filing); Peoria, IL (one in every 3,030 housing units); Cleveland, OH (one in every 3,715 housing units); Bakersfield, CA (one in every 3,774 housing units); and Mobile, AL (one in every 4,174 housing units).

– Lenders started the foreclosure process on 5,909 U.S. properties in May 2021, down 7 percent from last month and up 36 percent from a year ago. Counter to the national trend, states that had at least 100 foreclosure starts in May 2021 and saw the greatest monthly increase in foreclosure starts included: Ohio (up 96 percent); Alabama (up 78 percent); Michigan (up 65 percent); Georgia (up 61 percent); and Virginia (up 50 percent).

– Lenders repossessed 1,315 U.S. properties through completed foreclosures (REOs) in May 2021, down 15 percent from last month and down 54 percent from last year. Those states that had the greatest number of REOs in May 2021, included: California (154 REOs); Florida (148 REOs); Illinois (144 REOs); Texas (83 REOs); and Ohio (70 REOs).

RealtyTrac Announces Enhanced Foreclosure Search and Analytic Functionality
“RealtyTrac’s enhanced platform is committed to helping individual investors and real estate agents find, analyze and invest in residential properties,” said RealtyTrac General Manager Ohan Antebian. “As foreclosure activity begins to return to normal levels, RealtyTrac will continue to serve as the premier foreclosure listing and search portal for investors and agents looking to gain a competitive edge in the distressed market.”

The new RealtyTrac platform, powered by ATTOM, provides instant access to individual property information and offers interactive resources, including property investment analysis tools and finance options. These expanded services provide a single-source for those looking to either fix and flip, or buy, fix and rent properties for ongoing revenue generation. For real estate agents, the site helps them find inventory for their clients who are interested in buying foreclosure homes.

Report Methodology
The ATTOM U.S. Foreclosure Market Report provides a count of the total number of properties with at least one foreclosure filing entered into the ATTOM Data Warehouse during the month and quarter. Some foreclosure filings entered into the database during the quarter may have been recorded in the previous quarter. Data is collected from more than 3,000 counties nationwide, and those counties account for more than 99 percent of the U.S. population. ATTOM’s report incorporates documents filed in all three phases of foreclosure: Default — Notice of Default (NOD) and Lis Pendens (LIS); Auction — Notice of Trustee Sale and Notice of Foreclosure Sale (NTS and NFS); and Real Estate Owned, or REO properties (that have been foreclosed on and repurchased by a bank). For the annual, midyear and quarterly reports, if more than one type of foreclosure document is received for a property during the timeframe, only the most recent filing is counted in the report. The annual, midyear, quarterly and monthly reports all check if the same type of document was filed against a property previously. If so, and if that previous filing occurred within the estimated foreclosure timeframe for the state where the property is located, the report does not count the property in the current year, quarter or month.

Interested in finding out more about our pre-foreclosure and foreclosure data?

Contact ATTOM for Foreclosure Data Licensing Details.
Visit RealtyTrac.com for Foreclosure Search and Listings.

About ATTOM
ATTOM provides foreclosure data licenses that can power various enterprise industries including real estate, insurance, marketing, government, mortgage and more. ATTOM multi-sources from 3,000 counties property tax, deed, mortgage, environmental risk, natural hazard, and neighborhood data for more than 155 million U.S. residential and commercial properties covering 99 percent of the nation’s population.  

About RealtyTrac (Powered by ATTOM’s Property Data) 
RealtyTrac.com is the largest online marketplace for foreclosure and distressed properties, helping individual investors and real estate agents looking to gain a competitive edge in the distressed market. Realtytrac.com enables real estate professionals the ability to find, analyze and invest in residential properties.

MediaContact:
Christine Stricker
949.748.8428
christine.stricker@attomdata.com

Data and Report Licensing:
949.502.8313
datareports@attomdata.com

SOURCE ATTOM