WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans bought homes in October at the briskest pace this year, a sign that the sluggish housing market is turning around.
Sales of existing homes rose 1.5 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.26 million last month, the National Association of Realtors said Thursday. That's up from a revised pace of 5.18 million in September. October marked the first month in 2014 when sales increased compared to a year ago, registering a 2.5 percent gain.
11. Court to consider when second mortgage can be void - Friday, November 14, 2014
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court said Monday it will decide whether homeowners who declare bankruptcy can void a second mortgage if the home's market value has dropped below the amount they owe on the first mortgage.
12. US new-home sales close to flat in September - Friday, October 24, 2014
WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. sales of new homes were nearly flat in September, after the government sharply revised downward what was initially an August surge in buying.
New-home sales edged up 0.2 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 467,000, the Commerce Department reported Friday. The report also revised down the August sales rate to 466,000 from 504,000.
13. Lenders repossessed fewer US homes in January - Friday, February 7, 2014
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lenders repossessed fewer U.S. homes in January, bringing the number of completed foreclosures down to the lowest level in more than six years.
Even so, many states posted sharp increases in the number of homes entering the foreclosure process for the first time, a trend that raises the likelihood that those states will see a surge in foreclosed homes later this year.
14. Homes lost to foreclosure hit 6-year low in 2013 - Friday, January 10, 2014
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The number of U.S. homes that got started on the path to foreclosure fell last year to a low not seen since before the high-flying days of the housing boom, the latest evidence that the threat of foreclosures continues to diminish.
15. Fewer US homes entered foreclosure path in November - Friday, December 6, 2013
LOS ANGELES (AP) — While foreclosures remain a concern in select states, the number of U.S. homes entering the path to foreclosure or winding up repossessed by lenders has fallen to levels not seen in more than six years.
16. Fewer US homes repossessed by lenders in October - Friday, November 8, 2013
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Fewer U.S. homes are completing the foreclosure process and ending up repossessed by banks because investors are increasingly buying up properties when they go on sale at public auction.
17. Fewer US homes entered foreclosure track in 3Q - Friday, October 4, 2013
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The number of U.S. homes set on the path to foreclosure slid to a seven-year low in the third quarter, reflecting a gradually improving housing market and fewer homeowners falling behind on mortgage payments.
18. Fewer US homes entered foreclosure track in August - Friday, September 6, 2013
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lenders initiated foreclosure action in August against the fewest U.S. homes for any month in nearly eight years, a trend that should help reduce the number of homes lost to foreclosure in the months ahead.
19. US home foreclosures on track for 6-year low - Friday, August 9, 2013
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The U.S. is on track to end the year with the fewest homes repossessed by lenders in six years, a trend that should help limit the negative impact foreclosures have on home values.
20. US home prices vault nearly 12 percent in June - Friday, August 2, 2013
U.S. home prices surged 11.9 percent in June from a year earlier, reflecting stronger demand amid a tight supply of homes for sale.
CoreLogic, a real estate data provider, said Tuesday that home prices climbed on annual basis in 48 states. They fell only in Mississippi and Delaware. And all but one of the 100 largest cities reported price gains.
21. RealtyTrac: Home repossessions declined in June - Friday, July 5, 2013
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Fewer U.S. homes entered the foreclosure process or were repossessed by banks in June, the latest sign that the nation is shaking off its housing bust hangover.
Lenders initiated the foreclosure process on 57,286 homes last month, the lowest level for any month in 7½ years, foreclosure listing firm RealtyTrac Inc. said Thursday.
22. RealtyTrac: Home repossessions rose in May - Friday, June 7, 2013
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lenders stepped up action last month against homeowners who had fallen behind on their mortgage payments, taking possession of more homes and initiating the foreclosure countdown clock on many others.
23. Sales of bank-owned homes hit 5-year low in 1Q - Friday, May 24, 2013
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sales of bank-owned homes have plunged to a five-year low, the latest evidence that the nation's foreclosure woes are easing as the U.S. housing market recovery gains momentum.
For the January-March quarter, sales of bank-owned homes fell 16 percent from the previous three months and were down 23 percent versus the first quarter of 2012, foreclosure tracker RealtyTrac Inc. said Thursday.
24. RealtyTrac: US home repossessions fell in April - Friday, May 3, 2013
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Fewer U.S. homes entered the foreclosure process or were repossessed by lenders last month, the latest indication that the nation's foreclosure woes are waning.
Nationally, home repossessions fell 20 percent in April from the previous month and were down 32 percent from a year earlier, foreclosure listing firm RealtyTrac Inc. said Thursday.
25. RealtyTrac: US home repossessions fell in March - Friday, April 5, 2013
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The number of U.S. homes repossessed by lenders last month fell to the lowest level in more than five years, the latest evidence that the nation's foreclosure crisis is abating amid an improving housing market.
26. Sharp drop in US homes lost to foreclosure in February - Friday, March 8, 2013
LOS ANGELES (AP) — While the nation's foreclosure woes persist, new data show they're easing amid a resurgent housing market, rising home prices and efforts by some states to buy homeowners more time to avoid losing their homes.
27. Fewer US homes repossessed by banks in 2012 - Friday, January 11, 2013
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lenders took possession of fewer U.S. homes in 2012 than a year earlier, as the pace of new homes entering the path to foreclosure slowed and banks increasingly opted to allow troubled borrowers to sell their homes for less than what they owed on their mortgage.
28. Foreclosure starts down on annual basis in October - Friday, November 9, 2012
LOS ANGELES (AP) — U.S. homes are entering the foreclosure process at a slower pace than a year ago, and fewer properties are being repossessed by lenders, new data show.
Between January and October, 971,533 homes were placed on the path to foreclosure, down 8 percent from the same period last year, foreclosure listing firm RealtyTrac Inc. said Thursday.
29. US foreclosure filings hit 5-year low in September - Friday, October 5, 2012
U.S. foreclosure filings dropped to a five-year low in September as fewer homes were on track to be seized by lenders.
It was the second-consecutive monthly decline in filings, although there remains a sharp divergence along state lines, according to a report Thursday by foreclosure listing firm RealtyTrac Inc.
30. Foreclosure starts fell on annual basis in August - Friday, September 7, 2012
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The evolution of the U.S. foreclosure crisis is increasingly diverging along state lines.
On a national level, fewer homes were placed on the foreclosure track last month than in August last year, when they hit a 17-year high, foreclosure listing firm RealtyTrac Inc. said Thursday.
31. Report: Foreclosure sales fell sharply in 2Q - Friday, August 31, 2012
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sales of bank-owned homes and those already on the foreclosure path fell sharply in the second quarter, reflecting a thinner slate of properties for sale in many cities as banks take a measured approach to placing homes on the market.
32. Report: Foreclosure sales fell sharply in 2Q - Friday, August 24, 2012
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sales of bank-owned homes and those already on the foreclosure path fell sharply in the second quarter, reflecting a thinner slate of properties for sale in many cities as banks take a measured approach to placing homes on the market.
33. Number of homes facing foreclosure rose in July - Friday, August 3, 2012
LOS ANGELES (AP) — More U.S. homes started on the foreclosure path in July, as lenders tackled a backlog of mortgages gone unpaid even as they pulled back on home repossessions.
The number of homes that received an initial notice of default — the first step in the foreclosure process — increased 6 percent in July compared to the same month last year, foreclosure listing firm RealtyTrac Inc. said Thursday.
34. More US homes facing foreclosure risk in June - Friday, July 6, 2012
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Banks are increasingly placing homes with unpaid mortgages on a countdown that could deliver a swell of new foreclosed properties onto the market by early next year, potentially weighing further on home values.
35. May sees pickup in homes facing foreclosure risk - Friday, June 8, 2012
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lenders initiated foreclosure proceedings against more U.S. homeowners in May, setting the stage for increases in home repossessions and short sales — scenarios that could further weigh down home values in coming months.
36. US sales of foreclosure homes rose in 1Q - Friday, May 25, 2012
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Homes in some stage of the foreclosure process saw their share of overall U.S. home sales grow in the first quarter even as sales of bank-owned homes fell.
The increase was driven by a spike in short sales, or homes that sell for less than what the owner owed on their mortgage, foreclosure listing firm RealtyTrac Inc. said Thursday.
37. Report: Fewer US home foreclosures in April - Friday, May 11, 2012
LOS ANGELES (AP) — National foreclosure trends took a positive turn in April, as the number of homes seized by banks declined and fewer properties entered into the foreclosure process.
But state-level data point to potentially more home repossessions ahead in Florida and many of the 25 other states where courts are required to sign off on foreclosures.
38. March US foreclosure activity down near 5-year low - Friday, April 6, 2012
LOS ANGELES (AP) — More U.S. homes are entering the foreclosure process, setting the stage for a surge in properties repossessed by lenders this year.
The number of homes that received first-time foreclosure notices rose 7 percent in March from the previous month, foreclosure listing firm RealtyTrac Inc. said Thursday.
39. BofA to offer rentals as foreclosure alternative - Friday, March 23, 2012
NEW YORK (AP) — Bank of America says it has begun a pilot program offering some of its mortgage customers who are facing foreclosure a chance to stay in their homes by becoming renters instead of owners.
40. Some states saw spike in foreclosures in February - Friday, March 9, 2012
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Foreclosure activity surged last month across about half of the nation's states, as banks tackled a backlog of homes with mortgages that had gone unpaid yet remained in limbo due to delays stemming from foreclosure-abuse claims.
41. Foreclosure activity edges higher in January - Friday, February 10, 2012
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Banks took back more U.S. homes in January than in the previous month, the latest sign that foreclosures are accelerating after slowing sharply last year while lenders sorted out foreclosure-abuse claims.
42. US foreclosure rate lowest since pre-recession - Friday, January 6, 2012
NEW YORK (AP) — About 1.9 million homes entered the foreclosure process in 2011, the lowest level since 2007 when the recession began, according to a report Thursday by the foreclosure listing firm RealtyTrac Inc.
43. Scheduled home auctions hit 9-month high in Nov. - Friday, December 9, 2011
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Fewer U.S. homes entered the foreclosure process or were taken back by banks in November, reflecting a seasonal pullback in foreclosure activity by lenders and mortgage servicers.
44. US foreclosure activity hit 7-month high in Oct. - Friday, November 4, 2011
LOS ANGELES (AP) — More U.S. homes entered the foreclosure process in October than in the previous month, with Florida, Pennsylvania and Indiana registering among the largest monthly increases, new data show.
45. Late mortgage payments up in 3Q, 1st rise in years - Friday, November 4, 2011
NEW YORK (AP) — While lawmakers in Washington debated the debt ceiling and consumer confidence dropped, more homeowners in the U.S. were having a harder time making their mortgage payments.
The rate that mortgage holders were late with their payments by 60 days or more rose in the June-to-September period for the first time since the last three months of 2009, according to TransUnion.
46. Obama to promote new steps to help housing woes - Friday, October 21, 2011
WASHINGTON (AP) — Seeking to circumvent congressional opposition, President Barack Obama will promote a series of executive branch steps aimed at jumpstarting the economy this week, beginning with new rules to make it easier for homeowners to refinance their mortgages.
47. US foreclosure activity edged higher in 3Q - Friday, October 7, 2011
LOS ANGELES (AP) — More U.S. homes are entering the foreclosure process, but they're taking ever longer to get sold or repossessed by lenders.
The number of U.S. homes that received a first-time default notice during the July to September quarter increased 14 percent compared to the second quarter, RealtyTrac Inc. said Thursday.
48. Mortgage default warnings surged in August - Friday, September 16, 2011
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Banks have stepped up their actions against homeowners who have fallen behind on their mortgage payments, setting the stage for a fresh wave of foreclosures.
The number of U.S. homes that received an initial default notice — the first step in the foreclosure process — jumped 33 percent in August from July, foreclosure listing firm RealtyTrac Inc. said Thursday.
49. Mortgage default warnings surged in August - Friday, September 9, 2011
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Banks have stepped up their actions against homeowners who have fallen behind on their mortgage payments, setting the stage for a fresh wave of foreclosures.
The number of U.S. homes that received an initial default notice — the first step in the foreclosure process — jumped 33 percent in August from July, foreclosure listing firm RealtyTrac Inc. said Thursday.
50. Foreclosures made up 31 pct. of home sales in 2Q - Friday, August 19, 2011
WASHINGTON (AP) — Foreclosures made up roughly one-third of all home sales this spring. While that's a smaller share of sales from the previous quarter, it's six times the percentage of foreclosures in a healthy housing market.
51. New home sales fell 1 percent in June - Friday, July 22, 2011
WASHINGTON (AP) — Fewer Americans bought new homes in June, evidence that the housing market remains weak.
Sales of new homes fell 1 percent last month to an annual rate of 312,000, the Commerce Department said Tuesday. That's less than half the 700,000 homes sold per year that economists say is typical in healthy markets.
52. Foreclosure activity slowed in first half of 2011 - Friday, July 15, 2011
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The number of homes taken back by lenders in the first half of this year fell 30 percent compared with the same 2010 period, the result of delays in foreclosure processing that threaten to stall a U.S. housing recovery.
53. Foreclosure activity slowed in first half of 2011 - Friday, July 8, 2011
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The number of homes taken back by lenders in the first half of this year fell 30 percent compared with the same 2010 period, the result of delays in foreclosure processing that threaten to stall a U.S. housing recovery.
54. Lenders repossessed fewer homes in May - Friday, June 10, 2011
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The number of U.S. homeowners who were put on notice for being behind on their mortgage payments fell in May to the lowest level since 2006, the result of a slowing housing market and lingering delays in banks' foreclosure process.
55. Report: Sales of foreclosed homes fell in 1Q - Friday, May 20, 2011
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Sales of homes in some stage of foreclosure declined in the first three months of the year, but they still accounted for 28 percent of all home sales — a share nearly six times higher than what it would be in a healthy housing market.
56. Home sales dropped in April, foreclosures declined - Friday, May 13, 2011
WASHINGTON (AP) — Fewer people purchased previously occupied homes in April. Activity among first-time homebuyers increased and foreclosure sales declined, but those factors weren't enough to signal a recovery in the weak housing market.
57. Pace of foreclosures slowed further in April - Friday, May 6, 2011
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Fewer Americans had their homes repossessed by banks or were put on notice for being behind on their mortgage payments in April compared to a year ago.
That would ordinarily suggest improving fortunes for U.S. homeowners, but the decline had less to do with any turnaround in the housing market than with foreclosure processing delays that appear to be getting worse. That is threatening to drag out a housing recovery, foreclosure listing firm RealtyTrac Inc. said Thursday.
58. Processing delays slow foreclosure activity in 1Q - Friday, April 8, 2011
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Lender processing delays reduced the number of U.S. homes taken back by banks in the first three months of the year and contributed to a sharp drop in properties entering the foreclosure process.
59. Foreclosure activity slows sharply in February - Friday, March 4, 2011
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The number of U.S. homes receiving a foreclosure-related notice fell to a 36-month low last month, as lenders delayed taking action against homeowners amid heightened scrutiny over banks' handling of home repossessions.
60. Discount for foreclosed homes widened in 2010 - Friday, February 18, 2011
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The gap between the average sale price of a foreclosed home and that of other properties grew wider last year, giving homebuyers who snapped up bank-owned homes big discounts.
And homebuyers can expect to see more of those bargains this year, because fewer foreclosed homes were sold in 2010 than were taken back by banks, foreclosure listing firm RealtyTrac Inc. said Thursday.
61. Mortgage default notices slow sharply in January - Friday, February 4, 2011
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Fewer U.S. homes entered the foreclosure process in January than in any month in more than three years, the latest sign lenders are taking longer to move against homeowners who have fallen behind on mortgage payments.
62. Banks repossess 1 million homes in 2010 - Friday, January 7, 2011
NEW YORK (AP) — The bleakest year in foreclosure crisis has only just begun.
Lenders are poised to take back more homes this year than any other since the U.S. housing meltdown began in 2006. About 5 million borrowers are at least two months behind on their mortgages and more will miss payments as they struggle with job losses and loans worth more than their home's value, industry analysts forecast.