In another sign that the housing market is improving, the foreclosure rate saw a monthly drop of 14 percent in June, its lowest level since late 2006.
A total of 801,359 properties had foreclosure filings, default notices, scheduled auctions or bank repossessions since the first of the year, according to the mid-year foreclosure report from online real estate data company RealtyTrac. This is a 19 percent drop from the last six months of 2012, and a 23 percent drop from the first half of that year.
Bank repossessions in June dropped in 38 states, including several states that previously led the nation in foreclosures: Florida, Nevada and Colorado. Florida, which experienced the nation’s highest number of foreclosures in the first half of the year, realized a drop of 23 percent last month from June of 2012. Nevada, which had the second highest foreclosure rate, was down 21 percent from one year ago.
Some states such as Oklahoma saw a jump in the numbers due to a release of “zombie foreclosures,” or homes that went through a lengthy foreclosure process that is just now being completed. The nation’s average time to foreclose on a home rose to 526 days during the second quarter of 2013, a 10 percent increase from the first quarter.
The drop in foreclosures has resulted in a smaller inventory of homes on the market but has not dampened sales.
The foreclosure report, an improving economy, a drop in the unemployment rate, and rising consumer confidence should keep interest in home ownership up through the rest of the year. Becoming a Notary Signing Agent in this environment could boost your earning power.