RealtyTrac, an online marketplace for foreclosure properties, Thursday said foreclosure filings during November increased 18% from the previous year, while it declined 8% from the last month. Releasing its November 2009 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, RealtyTrac said foreclosure filings, which includes default notices, scheduled foreclosure auctions and bank repossessions, were reported on 306,627 U.S. properties during the month. As per the report, one in every 417 U.S. housing units received a foreclosure filing in November.
In October, foreclosure filings increased about 19% from last year, but dropped 3% sequentially. Foreclosure filings were reported on 332,292 U.S. properties in October with one in every 385 U.S. housing units receiving a foreclosure filing in the month.
RealtyTrac said today that default notices nationwide were down 8% from the previous month, but were up 22% from last year. Scheduled foreclosure auctions declined 12% sequentially, but were up 32% from November 2008. Bank repossessions were flat from the previous month and down 2% from November 2008.
Nevada, Florida and California posted top state foreclosure rates in November. In Nevada, foreclosure activity decreased by a double-digit percentage for the second straight month, but one in every 119 housing units received a foreclosure filing in November, which is 3.5 times the national average and the nation's top foreclosure rate. As many as 9,295 Nevada properties received a foreclosure filing during the month, down 33% from the previous month and the previous year. Nevada's November total was 52% below its July total of 19,535 properties with foreclosure filings.
Florida posted the nation's second highest state foreclosure rate in November with one in every 165 housing units receiving a foreclosure filing. Florida took the No. 2 spot from California, which posted the nation's third highest foreclosure rate with one in every 180 housing units receiving a foreclosure filing during the month.
After three straight months of decreases, foreclosure activity in Arizona increased nearly 8% in November. The state documented the nation's fourth highest foreclosure rate with one in every 186 housing units receiving a foreclosure filing.
Despite a nearly 2% drop in foreclosure activity from the previous month, Idaho posted the fifth highest state foreclosure rate in November with one in every 259 housing units receiving a foreclosure filing.
California, Florida, Illinois and Michigan accounted for 52% of the nation's total foreclosure activity for the second consecutive month. In California, foreclosure activity decreased 13% from the previous month. But the state continued to post the highest total of any state with 73,995 properties receiving a foreclosure filing in November, which is up 22% from last year, but down nearly 32% from its July peak of 108,104.
After two sequential decreases, Florida foreclosure activity increased slightly in November. A total of 52,935 Florida properties received foreclosure filings during the month, up about 2% from the previous month and up nearly 8% from last year.
Illinois foreclosure activity decreased nearly 18% from a record high in October. However, the state's 16,422 properties receiving foreclosure filings in November was about 108% higher than November 2008. As many as 15,988 Michigan properties received foreclosure filings in November, down about 3% from the previous month, but nearly 10% above the state's total in November 2008.
After being at the top for four straight months, Las Vegas dropped to No. 5 in foreclosure rate among metropolitan areas with a population of at least 200,000, as its foreclosure activity dropped 33% from the previous month. One in every 102 Las Vegas housing units received a foreclosure filing in November.
The top three metro foreclosure rates were in California. Merced took the top spot, with one in every 83 housing units receiving a foreclosure filing in November. Stockton foreclosure activity increased 37% from the previous month, with one in every 85 housing units receiving a foreclosure filing. Despite a 7% decrease in foreclosure activity from the previous month, Modesto posted the nation's third highest metro foreclosure rate.
According to James Saccacio, chief executive officer of RealtyTrac, "November was the fourth straight month that U.S. foreclosure activity has declined after hitting an all-time high for our report in July, and November foreclosure activity was at the lowest level we've seen since February. Loan modifications and other foreclosure prevention efforts, along with the recently extended and expanded homebuyer tax credit, are keeping a lid on the most visible symptoms of the nation's ailing housing market.''
Saccacio added that a full recovery would come only when unemployment recedes to normal, healthy levels and when availability of credit reaches a more rational balance between the extremes of the past few years.
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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.