U.S. Foreclosure Activity Sets New Quarterly Record, Up 23 Percent From Q3 2008 – Arizona is 3rd Highest
RealtyTrac released new data about Q3 foreclosure activity yesterday and once again the numbers continue to grow. We are seeing this in Arizona, and while Maricopa County (Phoenix area) leads the way, Yavapai County has a not-so-healthy foreclosure rate as well, and banks continue to repossess property especially in Prescott Valley and Chino Valley where newer more expensive homes were built in the last few years.

Arizona Q3 2009 Foreclosure Activity
IRVINE, Calif. – Oct. 15, 2009 — RealtyTrac® (realtytrac.com), the leading online marketplace for foreclosure properties, today released its U.S. Foreclosure Market Report™ for Q3 2009, which shows that foreclosure filings — default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions — were reported on 937,840 properties in the third quarter, a 5 percent increase from the previous quarter and an increase of nearly 23 percent from Q3 2008. One in every 136 U.S. housing units received a foreclosure filing during the quarter — the highest quarterly foreclosure rate since RealtyTrac began issuing its report in the first quarter of 2005.
Foreclosure filings were reported on 343,638 properties in September, a 4 percent decrease from the previous month but a 29 percent increase from September 2008. Despite the monthly decrease, September’s total was still the third highest monthly total since the RealtyTrac report began in January 2005, behind only July and August of this year.
“Bank repossessions, or REOs, jumped 21 percent from the second quarter to the third quarter, corresponding to jumps in defaults and scheduled auctions in the previous two quarters,” said James J. Saccacio, chief executive officer of RealtyTrac. “REO activity increased from the previous quarter in all but two states and the District of Columbia, indicating that lenders may be starting to work through some of the pent-up foreclosure inventory caused by legislative delays, loan modification efforts and high volumes of distressed properties.”
Nevada, Arizona, California post top state foreclosure rates in third quarter
Nevada continued to document the nation’s highest state foreclosure rate in the third quarter, with one in 23 housing units receiving a foreclosure filing — nearly six times the national average. Foreclosure filings were reported on 47,925 Nevada properties during the quarter, an increase of nearly 10 percent from the previous quarter and an increase of nearly 59 percent from the third quarter of 2008. Nevada REO activity in the third quarter increased 29 percent from the previous quarter and scheduled auctions increased 26 percent from the previous quarter, but defaults decreased 8 percent from the previous quarter.
Arizona posted the nation’s second highest state foreclosure rate in the third quarter, with one in every 53 housing units receiving a foreclosure filing, and California posted the nation’s third highest state foreclosure rate, also with one in every 53 housing units receiving a foreclosure filing during the quarter.
Other states with foreclosure rates ranking among the top 10 in the third quarter were Florida, Idaho, Utah, Georgia, Michigan, Colorado and Illinois.
Six states account for more than 60 percent of nation’s third quarter total
California, Florida, Arizona, Nevada, Illinois and Michigan accounted for 62 percent of the nation’s total foreclosure activity in the third quarter, with 579,541 properties receiving foreclosure filings in the six states combined.
With 250,054 properties receiving foreclosure filings during the quarter, California accounted for nearly 27 percent of the nation’s total. The state’s foreclosure activity decreased nearly 2 percent from the previous quarter thanks to a 10 percent drop in default notices, but scheduled auctions increased 4 percent from the previous quarter and REOs increased 12 percent from the previous quarter.
Florida foreclosure activity decreased less than 1 percent from the previous quarter, but the state still posted the second highest foreclosure activity total for the third quarter. Foreclosure filings were reported on 156,924 Florida properties, a 23 percent increase from Q3 2008. Default notices in Florida decreased 6 percent from the previous quarter while scheduled auctions increased 5 percent from the previous quarter and REOs increased 16 percent from the previous quarter.
Arizona posted the nation’s third highest foreclosure activity total in the third quarter, with 50,342 properties receiving a foreclosure filing during the quarter — a 5 percent increase from the previous quarter and a 25 percent increase from Q3 2008.
Nevada posted the nation’s fourth highest foreclosure activity total, with 47,925 properties receiving a foreclosure filing in the third quarter, followed by Illinois, with 37,270 properties receiving a foreclosure filing, and Michigan, with 37,026 properties receiving a foreclosure filing. All three states reported increasing foreclosure activity from the previous quarter and from Q3 2008.
Other states with foreclosure activity totals among the nation’s 10 highest were Georgia (33,385), Texas (29,838), Ohio (29,645), and New Jersey (18,108).






Thanks for your comment, Robert. I think if you read the entirety of my blog you will see that I try to post the current news and views about the market. You are welcome to post your analysis of what the market will do. My readers welcome input from all sides.
Thank you! This is just what I was looking for. Keep up the great work!
[...] How to help speed up a short sale tips [...]
Great blog post. The media will never pick up on this because it is more complicated than a soundbite.
If I may add that with the number of outstanding loans that are scheduled to reset in the next couple of years, decreasing home values and stricter lending guidelines, the rate of foreclosures are on track to peak in 2010. Short sales have become a growing niche for Real Estate Agents to sell homes before they become bank owned.
short sales | short sales education | short sales success
1/3 on the market are foreclosed or short sales – wow. It’s nice that you research this information. The agents who represent home sellers prob don’t share that info with buyers. Take care.
Dear Patrick,
Great article! I agree with you. I also would like to add couple more alternatives to those homeowners who want to stay in their homes.
There are two products those aren’t widely knowing and common in the market place. Trsutee Foreclosure Delays and Loan Re-Write.
Did you know that Homeowners are illegally being foreclosed on especially in Trustee States?
In Judicial Foreclosure states, a judge reviews the legality of the foreclosure proceedings to ensure the homeowner is being protected against greedy lenders and yet still the lenders are not properly following the foreclosure laws correctly (see this article: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/31/nyregion/31judge.html?_r=2).
In Trustee States, lenders employ a “third party” trustee company to replace the legal function of a judge and orchestrate the foreclosure process. If banks are not legally foreclosing when they know a judge reviews the case what do you think they are doing when they only have to go through a trustee that they pay? And what is more interesting, the trustee company is liable for the foreclosure proceedings but who is going after the trustee companies to review the legality of these foreclosure packages? You guess it! Yes, No one is..!
Did you know that a loan Re-Write program has the ability to reduce homeowner’s current loan balance down to the current market value at prime + 3%?
Here is an example: You owe $500K on your home but it is only worth $350k. Investors will bulk purchase the note from your current lender and re-write it back to you at $350k, saving you (the homeowner) over $150k!
I hope this helps!
To find out more about our services you may want to visit http://ASNDinc.com/
Yamen Elasadi
yamen@ASNDinc.com
Arizona Unemployment Trends – September 2009
Arizona Unemployment Trends Visualized as a Heat Map:
Arizona Unemployment in September 2009 (BLS data)
http://www.localetrends.com/st/az_arizona_unemployment.php?MAP_TYPE=curr_ue
versus Arizona Unemployment Levels 1 year ago
http://www.localetrends.com/st/az_arizona_unemployment.php?MAP_TYPE=m12_ue
[...] How to help speed up a short sale tips [...]
[...] How to help speed up a short sale tips [...]
This is good news… Foreclosure market needs movement to make more money and start leaving this situation
that’s good to hear. when you are experiencing foreclosure, you need the help of reliable real estate agents. when you are looking for them you may visit this site:
REALTOR
[...] How to help speed up a short sale tips [...]
[...] How to help speed up a short sale tips [...]
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Considering, finding the right foreclosure home is the most essential step involved while buying a foreclosure some research should be done ahead of time before finding the most affordable home.
[...] See: Why short sales aren’t always a good deal. [...]
[...] Considering making an offer in today’s distressed home marketplace in Prescott or Prescott Valley? See: Top 10 tips to win the REO multiple offer game. [...]
[...] Foreclosures are still cranking in the U.S [...]
[...] 31% of Phoenix area home sales are foreclosures in March down from 51% in Feb [...]
[...] How to help speed up a short sale tips [...]
[...] See: Why short sales aren’t always a good deal. [...]
[...] Considering making an offer in today’s distressed home marketplace in Prescott or Prescott Valley? See: Top 10 tips to win the REO multiple offer game. [...]
[...] See: Why short sales aren’t always a good deal. [...]
[...] Considering making an offer in today’s distressed home marketplace in Prescott or Prescott Valley? See: Top 10 tips to win the REO multiple offer game. [...]
[...] How to help speed up a short sale tips [...]
[...] How to help speed up a short sale tips [...]
[...] How to help speed up a short sale tips [...]
[...] See: Why short sales aren’t always a good deal. [...]