Brian Ripp ~ Your East Bay Area & Fremont Real Estate Agent

Foreclosure filings, including default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions, were reported on 315,716 U.S. properties during January, a 10 percent decrease from December but still 15 percent higher than January 2009, according to the latest RealtyTrac figures released today. One in every 409 U.S. homes received a foreclosure filing during the month.

REO activity fell 5 percent from the previous month, but was up 31 percent from a year ago. Default notices were down 12 percent in January, but were up 4 percent from January 2009, while scheduled auctions were down 11 percent for the month but were 15 percent higher than a year ago.

RealtyTrac’s CEO James J. Saccacio says the January foreclosure data is similar to a year ago, when a double-digit jump in foreclosure activity in December 2008 was followed by a 10 percent drop in January 2009. “If history repeats itself, we will see a surge in the numbers over the next few months as lenders foreclose on delinquent loans where neither the existing loan modification programs or the new short sale and deed-in-lieu of foreclosure alternatives works,” Saccacio says.

Nevada continues to lead the country in foreclosure activity with one in every 95 households receiving a foreclosure filing during January, more than four times the national average. Arizona was second with one in every 129 households receiving a foreclosure filing.

Las Vegas had the highest metro foreclosure rate in the country, with one in every 82 households receiving a foreclosure filing during the month, despite a decrease of 2 percent in foreclosure activity from the previous month and 21 percent drop in activity from a year ago. Phoenix was the only metro area among the top 10 to post a month-over-month increase (4 percent) in foreclosure activity.

Brian Ripp, CRS

info from; CRS connect e-mail update

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will suspend foreclosure evictions from December 19, 2009 through January 3, 2010.  To help struggling families over the holidays, both owner-occupants and tenants living in properties foreclosed upon by Fannie Mae will not be evicted.  Freddie Mac’s suspension of evictions will be limited to properties up to four units.
In a similar move, Citigroup Inc. will suspend foreclosure sales and evictions for 30 days through January 17, 2010 for loans it owns.  Citigroup’s foreclosure moratorium, however, does not extend to loans it services on behalf of other investors.  Given these developments, other lenders may follow suit, so check with the lender if appropriate.