Higher mortgage rates and related affordability challenges are putting the squeeze on homeowners who have fallen behind on their mortgage payments, but foreclosure activity took a step back in August.
According to the monthly foreclosure report from Attom, foreclosure filings fell 5.3% compared to July and completed foreclosures dropped by 12%. A total of 30,227 homes faced foreclosure filings, a far cry from the 300,000 per month seen during the 2008 financial crisis.
But this doesn’t mean risk isn’t present in today’s market.
“Foreclosure activity has remained relatively steady in recent months, with both foreclosure starts and completed foreclosures declining in August,” Attom CEO Rob Barber said in a statement. “While overall activity is significantly lower than the peaks seen during the 2008 financial crisis, the current economic environment, coupled with rising interest rates and affordability challenges, suggests a continued focus on potential housing market instability.”
Geographically, foreclosure activity in August was highest in Nevada, Florida and Illinois. In Nevada, one in every 2,473 homes had a foreclosure filing. In Florida, it was one in 2,605, and in Illinois, it was one in 2,837. Nationally, one in 4,662 homes faced foreclosure filings.
A number of California markets experienced high foreclosure rates in August. Chico (one in 1,526), Bakersfield (one in 1,972) and Riverside (one in 2,423) are having the most prominent foreclosure issues.
Of cities with at least 200,000 residents, Lakeland, Florida — which is east of Tampa — had the highest rate at one in 1,245 homes. Columbia, South Carolina (one in 1,796), Las Vegas (one in 2,016) and Chicago (one in 2,450) followed.
It’s a different geographic makeup than last month’s data showed. In July, the states with the highest foreclosure rates were Delaware, Nevada and Utah. The metro areas with the highest rates were Provo, Utah; Macon, Georgia; Spartanburg, South Carolina; and Las Vegas.
