US Foreclosure Figures Fall but It's Too Early to Celebrate

Data just released by Lender Processing Services shows the number of new foreclosures fell by nearly 40% last year, but this is largely due to the robo signing scandal, and the numbers defaulting on their mortgages last year remain more or less unchanged.

The figures found a significant difference between those states that required foreclosures to go through the courts compared to those that don't and found that foreclosure sales in states where no judicial action is required are four times higher than those states where cases are required to go through the courts.

RealtyTrac’s figures for the third quarter of last year show that foreclosure properties accounted for one fifth of all sales, down from 22% in the second quarter and 30% year-on-year.

The average price of foreclosure homes was $165,322 during the third quarter of last year which is around 34% below the price achieved by homes not in foreclosure. This average sales price had increased 1% quarter on quarter, but was down 3% year-on-year.

Until a settlement is agreed between multiple states attorneys general and major lenders the market won't be able to dispose of foreclosure properties properly. California's attorney general has just rejected the latest proposal, saying it is inadequate.

Without California's agreement the value of the settlement could drop by billions of dollars as around one fifth of the country’s foreclosures are in California. During 2005 and 2006 foreclosures typically accounted for less than 5% of all property sales throughout the country, so even though figures have fallen they still remain historically high.