Although year-over-year foreclosure metrics continued to improve last month — total filings were higher than in August, the foreclosure rate worsened, and the time to complete a foreclosure grew longer. One bright spot was the month-over-month decline in completed foreclosures. Significant deterioration in Nevada’s foreclosure rate was reported.
A total of 131,232 U.S. properties had a foreclosure filing — including default notices, scheduled auctions and repossessions — during September.
Last month’s activity worsened from August, when 128,560 residential properties were hit with some type of foreclosure filing.
But filings were lower compared to a year earlier, when RealtyTrac reported that foreclosure filings occurred on 180,427 residential properties. RealtyTrac noted that last month marked the 36th consecutive year-over-year improvement even though the rate was up from a year earlier in 16 states.
RealtyTrac said its database reflects information from 2,200 U.S. counties that account for more than 90 percent of the country’s population.
Florida maintained its standing as the state with the biggest foreclosure problem. Filings were made on 22,033 properties, though that was fewer than the 23,372 Sunshine State filings a month earlier.
In California, foreclosures rose to 15,804 from 15,136, landing it in the second spot for September.
Next was Illinois’ 10,011 filings, 7,301 in Ohio and New Jersey’s 5,404 foreclosures.
At the bottom of the list was North Dakota, where just eight filings were made.
Moving on to the foreclosure rate, one foreclosure filing was made on each 998 U.S. housing units last month. The rate deteriorated from one-in-1,019 during August but improved compared to the one-in-730 rate in September 2012.
Nevada’s rate continued worsening, coming in at one-in-249 in September — the worst rate of any state — versus one-in-359 the previous month. It was the second consecutive month that the Silver State’s rate deteriorated.
Nevada Senate Bill 321, which is intended to make it easier for short sales to occur with borrower-related parties, took effect Oct. 1. However, differing interpretations make it unclear what the new law’s ultimate impact will be.
Florida followed with a one-in-406 rate, better than August’s one-in 383 rate.
After that was one-in-528 in Illinois, one-in-566 in Maryland and one-in-656 in New Jersey.
Washington, D.C.’s, one filing for each 42,216 properties was more favorable than the rate in any state.
With 38,334 repossessions in September, the nation’s mortgage servicers completed fewer foreclosures than the 39,277 completed a month earlier and 53,569 a year earlier.
During the first nine months of 2013, servicers completed 363,113 foreclosures.
Real-estate-owned filings were greatest in Florida: 6,354. But the state reduced the number from 8,439 during August.
Ohio repossessions declined to 3,345 from 3,583, placing it in the No. 2 spot during September.
California’s 3,184 REO filings were next, then 2,451 in Illinois and 2,054 in Texas.
North Dakota’s eight completed foreclosures were the fewest of any state.
RealtyTrac reported that it took an average of 551 days to complete a U.S. foreclosure in the third quarter, lengthening from 526 days in the second quarter and 382 days in the same three-month period last year.
New York’s 1,037 days was longer than any other state. Next was New Jersey’s 1,014 days followed by Florida’s 929 days, Illinois’ 828 days and Connecticut’s 693 days.
Maine had the shortest foreclosure turnaround during the third quarter:Â 160 days.
