RealtyTrac, an online marketplace for foreclosure properties and real estate data, Thursday said foreclosure filings were reported on 154,281 U.S. properties in February, down 25 percent from February 2012 although it grew 2 percent from the previous month.
The report also shows one in every 849 U.S. housing units with a foreclosure filing during the month. Foreclosure filings include default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions.
Releasing its U.S. Foreclosure Market Report for February, the market researcher said U.S. foreclosure starts increased 10 percent from the previous month after three consecutive monthly decreases, but dropped 25 percent from last year.
U.S. bank repossessions or REO decreased 11 percent from the previous month and declined 29 percent from February 2012 to the lowest level since September 2007.
Florida posted the nation's highest state foreclosure rate for the sixth consecutive month in February, with one in every 282 housing units having a foreclosure filing during the month.
Daren Blomquist, vice president at RealtyTrac, said, "At a high level the U.S. foreclosure inferno has been effectively contained and should be reduced to a slow burn in the next two years. But dangerous foreclosure flare-ups are still popping up in states where foreclosures have been delayed by a lengthy court process or by new legislation making it more difficult to foreclose outside of the court system.''
These new foreclosure hot spots include states like Washington and Maryland.
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June 05, 2026 16:18 ET A busy week for economic news flow saw a slew of reports being released that reflected the trends in the U.S. labor market. In Europe, economic growth and inflation data gained attention as the European Central Bank and Bank of England head for policy session later in the month. In Asia, the monetary policy session of the Indian central bank was in focus as the country, a major oil importer, reels under the pressures of a weaker rupee and rising inflation.