According to the latest numbers from mortgage industry tracking company RealtyTrac Inc., the number of households that received an initial default notice, which is the first step that must be taken to begin the foreclosure process, jumped an incredible 33% from July to August. The spike represents the largest percentage increase in four years and constitutes a 9 month high.
RealtyTrac senior VP, Rick Sharga, has stated that this is the first time they have seen such a increase in default notices. While it may be an aberration, Sharga said "I think its much more likely we're seeing the beginning of a trend here." New foreclosure actions were slowed down last fall as allegations of shoddy foreclosure processes by the nations largest lenders came to light.
All to,ld, 78,880 properties received a default notice in August. While August's numbers are up, they are down 18% from the August 2010 numbers. While the foreclosure numbers are on the rise, RealtyTrac says it may be beneficial for housing recovery, as overall home prices are not likely to rebound while there are still potentially thousands of unaddressed foreclosures "hovering over the market."
If you are one of the thousands of new homeowners who have received a default notice from your mortgage company, contact Jacksonville Foreclosure Lawyer or a Florida Foreclosure Defense Lawyer today for a free consultation in order to determine what foreclosure defense options may be available to you.


