The sources that gather such data have all reported a steady decline in mortgage delinquencies since last summer and are all stages are now close to the historic lows that existed prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, ATTOM says foreclosure activity is mounting. The company’s U.S. Foreclosure Market Report for January shows there were a total of 23,204 U.S. properties with some type of foreclosure filing during the month. These include default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions or completed foreclosures. This is an increase of 29 percent from a month earlier and 139 percent compared to January 2021. “The increased level of foreclosure activity in January wasn’t a surprise,” said Rick Sharga, executive vice president of RealtyTrac, an ATTOM company. “Foreclosures typically slow down during the holidays in November and December and pick back up after the first of the year. This year, the increases were probably a little more dramatic than usual since foreclosure restrictions placed on mortgage servicers by the CFPB expired at the ed of December.” There were 4,784 bank repossessions (REOs) in January, up 57 percent for the month, a 235 percent year-over-year surge, and the 7th consecutive month that the number of completed foreclosures grew. This is partially a result of a foreclosure moratorium on federally guaranteed loans in effect a year ago and which expired seven months ago, on July 31, 2021.
Source: Mortgage News Daily
