Foreclosures

The end of VA foreclosure moratorium is behind a rise in auctions, but bidder hesitancy suggests home prices could fall further.

While foreclosure numbers in the first six months of this year were up compared to 2024, starts eased as the spring progressed, according to Attom.

Credit availability declined in June as the job market and rising delinquency figures have some lenders concerned, the leading mortgage trade group said.

As the housing market cools, a rise in delinquency rates and underwater mortgages could be a foreboding sign for the future.

Legislation passed in Connecticut protects homeowners from foreclosures tied to old liens that received renewed collections interest as housing values surged.

Filings rose at the start of 2025 following the end of a federal foreclosure moratorium, but new numbers from Attom suggest normalization of certain trends.

Demand is brisk enough that zombie home counts have stayed low, according to Attom, which is nevertheless keeping an eye on rising distressed mortgage activity.

Numbers jumped after the expiration of a moratorium at the end of 2024, but rates of foreclosure rose across all loan types, the Mortgage Bankers Association said.

Completed foreclosure sales reach their highest level since the second quarter of 2023, with a 20% quarter-to-quarter increase, Auction.com said.

Sellers have roughly a month to bring transactions involving properties from the "claims without conveyance of title" and REO programs in line with the changes.