<- Return To Industry Updates

U.S. Foreclosure Activity Declines in 2024

Industry Update
January 15, 2025

Source: ATTOM

ATTOM, a leading curator of land, property data, and real estate analytics, today released its Year-End 2024 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, which shows foreclosure filings— default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions — were reported on 322,103 U.S. properties in 2024, down 10 percent from 2023 and down 1 percent from 2022 and down 35 percent from 2019, before the pandemic shook up the market. Foreclosure filings in 2024 were also down 89 percent from a peak of nearly 2.9 million in 2010.

Those 322,103 properties with foreclosure filings in 2024 represented 0.23 percent of all U.S. housing units, down slightly from 0.25 percent in 2023, and down from 0.36 percent in 2019 and down from a peak of 2.23 percent in 2010.

“The continued decline in foreclosure activity throughout 2024 suggests a housing market that may be stabilizing, even as economic uncertainties persist,” said Rob Barber, CEO at ATTOM. “This year’s data points to foreclosure trends potentially returning to more predictable levels, offering some clarity for industry professionals, investors, and homeowners. While foreclosure filings remain a critical metric for understanding market health, current trends may point to a more balanced landscape, potentially shaped by careful lending practices and ongoing homeowner resilience.”

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 collected in more than 3,000 counties nationwide, accounting for more than 99 percent of the U.S. population – also available for licensing or customized reporting. See full methodology below.

The report also includes new data for December 2024, showing there were 28,632 U.S. properties with foreclosure filings, down 3 percent from the previous month and down 6 percent from a year ago.

Foreclosure starts on the decline nationwide

Lenders started the foreclosure process on 253,306 U.S. properties in 2024, down 6 percent from 2023, up 174 percent from 2021, but down 25 percent form 2019 and down 88 percent from a peak of 2,139,005 in 2009.

States that saw the greatest number of foreclosure starts in 2024 included California (29,529 foreclosure starts); Florida (29,239 foreclosure starts); Texas (28,946 foreclosure starts); New York (14,436 foreclosure starts); and Illinois (13,082 foreclosure starts).

Those metropolitan statistical areas with a population greater than 1 million that saw the greatest number of foreclosure starts in 2024, included New York, New York (15,327 foreclosure starts); Chicago, Illinois (11,508 foreclosure starts); Houston, Texas (10,197 foreclosure starts); Los Angeles, California (8,790 foreclosure starts); and Miami, FL (8,603 foreclosure starts).

Bank repossessions continue second year of decline

Lenders repossessed 36,505 properties through foreclosures (REO) in 2024, down 13 percent from 2023 and down 75 percent from 2019 (143,955) and down 97 percent from a peak of 1,050,500 in 2010.

States that saw the greatest number of REOs in 2024 included California (3,466 REOs); Illinois (2,858 REOs); Pennsylvania (2,828 REOs); Michigan (2,629 REOs); and Texas (2,501 REOs).

Those metropolitan statistical areas with a population greater than 1 million that saw the greatest number of REOs in 2024 included Chicago, IL (1,976 REOs); New York, New York (1,815 REOs); Detroit, Michigan (1,575 REOs); Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (946 REOs); and Baltimore, Maryland (905 REOs).

Florida, New Jersey, and Nevada post highest state foreclosure rates in 2024

States with the highest foreclosure rates in 2024 were Florida (1 in ever 267 housing units with a foreclosure filing); New Jersey (1 in every 267 housing units); Nevada (1 in every 273 housing units); Illinois (1 in every 278 housing units); and South Carolina (1 in every 304 housing units).

Rounding out the top 10 states with the highest foreclosure rates in 2024, were Connecticut (1 in every 306 housing units); Maryland (1 in every 322 housing units); Ohio (1 in every 325 housing units); Indiana (1 in every 328 housing units); and Delaware (1 in every 329 housing units).

Lakeland, Atlantic City, and Columbia post highest metro foreclosure rates in 2024

Among 224 metropolitan statistical areas with a population of at least 200,000, those with the highest foreclosure rates in 2024 were Lakeland, FL (1 in every 172 housing units with a foreclosure filing); Atlantic City, New Jersey (1 in every 200 housing units); Columbia, SC (1 in every 204 housing units); Cleveland, OH (1 in every 208 housing units); and Las Vegas, NV (1 in every 231 housing units).

Metro areas with a population greater than 1 million, including Cleveland, Ohio and Las Vegas, Nevada that had the highest foreclosure rates in 2024 were: Orlando, Florida (1 in every 234 housing units); Jacksonville, Florida (1 in every 241 housing units); Chicago, Illinois (1 in every 245 housing units); and Miami, Florida (1 in every 247 housing units).

Average time to foreclose decreases quarterly but increases annually

U.S. properties foreclosed in the fourth quarter of 2024 had been in the foreclosure process an average of 762 days, a 6 percent decrease from the previous quarter but a 6 percent increase from a year ago.

States with the longest average time to foreclose in Q4 2024 were Louisiana (3,015 days); Hawaii (2,505 days); New York (2,099 days); Wisconsin (1,989 days); and Nevada (1,750 days).

Q4 2024 Foreclosure Activity High-Level Takeaways

There was a total of 84,361 U.S. properties with foreclosure filings in Q4 2024, down 3 percent from the    previous quarter and down 9 percent from a year ago.

Nationwide in Q4 2024, one in every 1,671 properties had a foreclosure filing.

States with the highest foreclosure rates in Q4 2023 were Nevada (one in every 1,003 housing units with a foreclosure filing); Florida (one in every 1,110 housing units); New Jersey (one in every 1,127 housing units); Indiana (one in every 1,141 housing units); and Connecticut (one in every 1,222 housing units).