Lenders sent California homeowners the highest number of mortgage default notices in over a decade last quarter, the result of flat or falling prices, anemic sales and a market struggling with the excesses of the 2004-2005 home buying frenzy, a real estate information service reported. "A lot of the loans that went bad last quarter were made at or just beyond the cycle's peak, between summer '05 and summer '06. Appreciation rates for most of that period were in the double digits and lenders let many households stretch their finances to the max, and beyond. It's that pool of 'beyond' mortgages that the market is working its way through," said Marshall Prentice, DataQuick's president. Most of the loans that went into default last quarter were originated between July 2005 and August 2006. The median age was 16 months. Loan originations peaked in August 2005. The use of adjustable-rate mortgages for primary purchase home loans peaked at 77.8% in May 2005 and has since fallen.
Notices of Default
houses and condos
| County/Region | 2006Q2 | 2007Q2 | %Chg |
| San Francisco | 127 | 257 | 102.4% |
| Alameda | 649 | 1,612 | 148.4% |
| Contra Costa | 725 | 2,316 | 219.4% |
| Santa Clara | 530 | 1,275 | 140.6% |
| San Mateo | 222 | 463 | 108.6% |
| Marin | 58 | 118 | 103.4% |
| Solano | 350 | 1,065 | 204.3% |
| Sonoma | 202 | 462 | 128.7% |
| Napa | 47 | 128 | 172.3% |
| Bay Area | 2,910 | 7,696 | 164.5% |
Recorded Trustees Deeds
houses and condos
| County/Region | 2006Q2 | 2007Q2 | %Chg |
| San Francisco | 9 | 49 | 444.4% |
| Alameda | 69 | 480 | 595.7% |
| Contra Costa | 62 | 778 | 1154.8% |
| Santa Clara | 38 | 256 | 573.7% |
| San Mateo | 17 | 97 | 470.6% |
| Marin | 6 | 25 | 316.7% |
| Solano | 36 | 324 | 800.0% |
| Sonoma | 18 | 163 | 805.6% |
| Napa | 3 | 34 | 1033.3% |
| Bay Area Total | 258 | 2,206 | 755.0% |