According to a Reuters article, RealtyTrac is reporting that filings, which includes bank repossessions, notice of defaults, and auction sales, are up 17% from February to March and up 24% quarter over quarter.
The surge in filings is a result of bank foreclosure moratoriums that have been expiring.
Rick Sharga, the senior vice president at RealtyTrac said, "We still anticipate that we'll see upward of 3 million households receive a foreclosure notice this year, up from 2.4 million last year."
The graph to the left shows the volume of mortgages that are due to reset over the next three years.
The problem is that while mortgage rates have plunged, millions of Americans have been unable to refinance because their home is worth less than what they owe, this has spawned millions of zombie homeowners.
And the number of under water home owners is only accelerating. The trend is that home value declines are actually picking up speed rather than leveling off.
It is a perfect storm, millions of underwater home owners, massive job losses, and weak demand for real estate; it all adds up to declining home values, bank losses, and a strong economic headwind.
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