ATTOM: May Foreclosure Filings Up From April, Down Year-Over-Year

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ATTOM, Irvine, Calif., released its May 2024 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, showing foreclosure filings were up 3% in May from April, but down 7% year-over-year.

ATTOM defines foreclosure filings as properties with default notices, scheduled auctions or bank repossessions. It recorded 32,621 properties in that category in May.

“May’s foreclosure activity highlights nuanced shifts in the housing market,” said Rob Barber, CEO at ATTOM. “While we observed a slight increase in foreclosure starts, the decline in completed foreclosures indicates resilience in certain areas. Monitoring these evolving patterns remains crucial to understanding the full impact on the real estate sector.”

One in every 4,320 housing units had a foreclosure filing in May 2024.

The states with the highest rates were New Jersey, with one in every 1,939 housing units; Illinois, one in every 2,362 units; Delaware, one in every 2,595 housing units; Connecticut, one in every 2,600 housing units; and Florida, one in every 2,638 housing units.

Lenders started the foreclosure process on 22,385 U.S. properties, up 3% from April and down 4% from May 2023.

The states with the largest number of foreclosure starts were Florida, with 2,750 foreclosure starts; Texas, with 2,560 foreclosure starts; California, with 2,370 foreclosure starts; Illinois, with 1,427 foreclosure starts; and New Jersey, with 1,219 foreclosure starts.

Lenders repossessed 2,879 properties nationwide via completed foreclosures, down 1% from April and down 28% from last year.

States with the highest number of repossessions in May were California, with 254 REOs, Illinois, also with 254 REOs, Pennsylvania, with 238 REOs, Ohio, with 177 REOs, and Texas, with 167 REOs.