The number of vacant pre-foreclosure properties in the United States rose slightly as the fourth quarter got underway, according to Attom, a property data provider.
The latest count for "zombie" properties is 7,722, up from the 7,702 reported at
While the numbers show so-called zombies are slowly rising, they're still "nearly extinct" due to the fact that vacant and abandoned properties were among the few types of houses not bound by coronavirus-related restrictions on distressed homes, according to Attom.
"Now that the foreclosure ban has been lifted, we're likely to see a gradual return to pre-pandemic levels," Rick Sharga, executive vice president of market intelligence at Attom said in a press release.
Although the number of zombie properties has risen and
The share of residential properties in the United States that were vacant in the latest quarterly data Attom analyzed fell to 1.26% or more than 1.26 million properties, from 1.28% or nearly 1.3 million three months prior, and 1.33% a year earlier.
"With demand from both traditional homebuyers and investors still relatively strong, and the inventory of homes for sale still very low, [ the vacancy rate] for residential homes is about as low as it's ever been," Sharga said.
