Foreclosures down in PA, NJ

Foreclosures in Pennsylvania and New Jersey declined in November from the previous month and from October 2006, RealtyTrac, of Irvine, Calif., reported today.

The number of foreclosure filings - default notices, auction sale notices and bank repossessions - dropped 18.7 percent in Pennsylvania from October and almost 20 percent from November 2006, the firm, which tracks bankruptcies nationwide, said. New Jersey foreclosures fell 12.6 percent from October, and 17.1 percent from November 2006.

While foreclosures dropped 10 percent nationwide from October, they were up nearly 68 percent from November 2006, according to RealtyTrac.

"While it's too early to tell if the worst is over in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the November numbers certainly indicate that the two states' housing markets are faring much better than housing markets in many other areas of the country," said RealtyTrac marketing manager Daren Blomquist.

The 10 percent national decline from October was the first monthly decline since April 2006, which RealyTrac said could mean foreclosures have topped out for 2007.

With one foreclosure filing for every 152 households - more than four times the national average - Nevada continued to register the nation's top state foreclosure rate for the 11th straight month.

Florida's November foreclosure rate of one foreclosure filing for every 282 households ranked second highest among the states - up from the state's ranking of third highest the previous month despite a 3 percent month-to-month decrease in foreclosure activity.

Foreclosure activity in Ohio was down nearly 6 percent from the previous month, but the state's foreclosure rate of one foreclosure filing for every 307 households still ranked third highest among the states - up from fourth highest the previous month.

Other states with foreclosure rates ranking among the nation's 10 highest were Colorado, California, Michigan, Georgia, Arizona, Indiana and Illinois.