Tampa Bay's foreclosure rate was unchanged in 2018

The foreclosure rate in the Tampa Bay area was unchanged between 2017 and 2018 despite a drop in the percentage of homes that were seriously delinquent on their mortgages.

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According to the property data site CoreLogic, about 1% of all mortgaged bay area homes were in some stage of foreclosure at the end of December. That was the same as in 2017.

The percentage of seriously delinquent homes — those 90 or more days late in payments — declined to 2% while early stage delinquencies — those 30 to 59 days late — declined to 4.4%, about half the rate as in 2017.

Nationally, foreclosure and delinquency rates sank to their lowest December level since at least 2000. However, the rate of serious delinquencies rose year-over-year in several areas hard hit by hurricanes Michael and Florence including Panama City, Fla., and Wilmington, N.C.