A report from Attom Data. "ATTOM’s year-end foreclosure report provides a unique count of properties with a foreclosure filing during the year based on publicly recorded and published foreclosure filings. 'Plummeting foreclosure completions combined with consistently falling foreclosure timelines in 2018 provide evidence that most of the distress from the last housing crisis has now been cleaned up,' said Todd Teta, Chief Product Officer. 'But there was also some evidence of distress gradually returning to the housing market in 2018, with foreclosure starts increasing from the previous year in more than one-third of all state and local housing markets.'"

"'Some of that distress was driven by natural disasters, most notably in Houston, where foreclosure starts increased 61 percent,' Teta continued. 'But natural disasters do not explain the increase in markets such as Detroit, Minneapolis-St. Paul, Milwaukee and Austin — all of which posted double-digit percentage increases in foreclosure starts in 2018.'"

"Five states posted a year-over-year increase in REOs, led by New Mexico (up 20 percent); North Dakota (up 15 percent); Alaska (up 8 percent); Connecticut (up 5 percent); and Maine (up 5 percent). Metropolitan statistical areas with a population greater than 200,000 that saw a year-over-year increase in REOs included Flint, Michigan (up 161 percent), Beaumont, Texas (up 63 percent), Albuquerque, New Mexico (up 27 percent), Greeley, Colorado (up 24 percent) and Houston, Texas (up 17 percent)."

"Counter to the national trend, 18 states posted year-over-year increases in foreclosure starts in 2018, including Minnesota (up 29 percent); Texas (up 15 percent); Michigan (up 15 percent); Florida (up 13 percent); Louisiana (up 5 percent); and Delaware (up 2 percent)."

"States with the longest average time to foreclose in Q4 2018 were Hawaii (1,429 days); Florida (1,311 days); Indiana (1,214 days); Arizona (1,183 days) and New Jersey (1,162 days). Among 499 counties nationwide with sufficient data, those with the longest average time to foreclose in Q4 2018 were Marion County (Indianapolis), Indiana (2,521 days); York County, Pennsylvania (2,432 days); Honolulu County, Hawaii (2,152 days); Dauphin County, Pennsylvania (2,054 days); Queens County, New York (2,046 days) and Denton County, Texas (1,961 days)."

From The Real Deal. "Foreclosure filings picked up 13 percent last year in Florida. The state registered one of the highest foreclosure rates in the nation in 2018, with about 0.71 percent of homeowners defaulting on their loans."

"The foreclosure numbers are mostly consistent with ATTOM’s mid-2018 report, which found numbers dropping in the New York and Chicago metro areas, but ramping up in Los Angeles and South Florida. That indicates lenders could be loosening their criteria in those markets. Foreclosure activity rose sharply in New York City in 2017, reaching its highest level there since 2009."

The Dallas Morning News in Texas. "In North Texas, home foreclosure filings inched up after seven straight years of declines, according to Attom Data Solutions. In 2018, foreclosure actions were started on 7,295 D-FW area homes — up 4 percent from 2017 levels. Texas foreclosure filings were up 15 percent in 2018, primarily due to lingering effects of the 2017 Gulf Coast hurricanes."

"Austin-area foreclosure starts rose 31 percent last year from 2017 levels, according to Attom Data Solutions. Houston foreclosure postings were up 61 percent in 2018."

"Not all foreclosure filings result in a forced sale of the property. Lenders often schedule a home foreclosure for several months while they negotiate with the borrower. Only 4,271 D-FW area homes actually sold at foreclosure in 2018, Attom says. That's an 8 percent decline from 2017 and the lowest volume of forced sales in four years. But last year's increase in foreclosure postings could be indicative of higher forced sales ahead."

From WTOP on Maryland. "Maryland remains among states with the highest foreclosure rate — and Baltimore City still ranks among cities with the highest foreclosure rates. In 2018, the foreclosure rate in Maryland was 0.86 percent, double the national average and the third highest among states, behind New Jersey and Delaware."

"Baltimore ranks ninth among cities for foreclosure rates last year, at 0.89 percent. The cities with the highest foreclosure rates last year were Atlantic City, New Jersey, at 2.37 percent; Trenton, New Jersey, at 1.56 percent; and Flint, Michigan, at 1.16 percent."

From Tampa Bay Newspapers in Florida. "When it comes to the roughly 100 derelict homes scattered around the city, Community Standards Manager Tracey Schofield told commissioners Jan. 15 that code enforcement just wasn’t cutting it. Therefore, in a bid to crack down on the nearly 500 properties racking up well over $10 million in fines, city leaders decided it was time to open the door to foreclosures and move forward with an agreement with a lawyer who specializes in the cases."

"For Commissioner Curtis Holmes, this has been a long time coming. 'I’ve been in favor of going after these properties a long time ago, so when I first read this thing, this was a ‘thank you Jesus’ moment,' he said."

The News Press in Florida. "East Naples resident Deborah Giardello faces a foreclosure lawsuit because of a dispute with Bruno Total Home Performance. The local Realtor said she didn't pay the Bonita Springs-based company because it misled her about the cost of getting a new air conditioner with a maintenance agreement — and about how she would pay for it."

"Several other homeowners in Southwest Florida have made similar complaints to the Attorney General's Office, which confirmed Tuesday it's investigating the business. The program, authorized by local governments under state legislation, became available in Florida in 2010 to help homeowners secure loans for projects that make their homes safer and more efficient —  from installing shutters to putting in a new air conditioning system."

"Through the program homeowners wanting upgrades can get a loan through an approved PACE lender and the county will collect on the loan through a special tax on the property for up to 30 years."

"Katharine Rueb is one of the handful of homeowners who filed a complaint against Bruno Total Home with the Attorney General's Office. In her complaint, she said the company filed a construction lien against her home for 'a bogus, made-up amount' of $20,450, then later filed to foreclose on it."

"'Bruno is now threatening my only place to live,' Rueb said in her complaint. 'He is trying to take my house.'"

From New Jersey 101.5. "Fewer property owners in New Jersey are at risk of losing their home to foreclosure than in years past, but the state's foreclosure rate is still the worst in the nation, according to new data. ATTOM Data Solutions finds New Jersey's rate of foreclosure activity — one in every 75 housing units — was the highest among the 50 states and D.C. in 2018. The national rate was one in every 215 homes."

"The report counted 47,619 New Jersey properties last year with a foreclosure filing — default notices, scheduled auctions or bank repossessions. At 1,162 days, New Jersey ranks among the states that take the longest time to move a foreclosure from start to finish, the report finds."

"Jeffrey Otteau, president of Otteau Valuation Group in Matawan, told New Jersey 101.5 the foreclosure process in New Jersey is 'very protective of consumer rights,' so judges are 'very reluctant to approve a foreclosure until all other possible solutions have been exhausted.'"

"'I can tell you that if we had processed foreclosures more rapidly over the last nine years, home prices would be even lower today because that's what foreclosures cause in a market,' he said."