November foreclosures in county down from month earlier

Hernando Today

BROOKSVILLE - The number of county foreclosures in November was down from a month earlier.

But they are up from one year ago.

The county clerk's office recorded 238 foreclosure filings for November, compared to 291 in October.

In November 2008, the clerk's office had 213 filings, or 25 less than November 2009.

Clerk of Circuit Court Karen Nicolai said her office is not seeing that big a difference. Filers, she said, continue to bring in boxes of foreclosure papers.

If there is any bright spot, it is that her office is seeing more bidders show up during sales of foreclosed properties held at the courthouse, Nicolai said.

Typically, most properties simply went to the bank, she said.

This latest news comes on the heels of a report issued Thursday from RealtyTrac that showed the number of national foreclosure filings in November declined for the fourth straight month after hitting a high in July.

In fact, November foreclosure activity was at the lowest level since February, RealtyTrac said.

"Loan modifications and other foreclosure prevention efforts, along with the recently extended and expanded homebuyer tax credit, are keeping a lid on the most visible symptoms of the nation's ailing housing market - foreclosures and home value depreciation," said James Saccacio, RealtyTrac chief executive officer.

Florida posted the nation's second highest state foreclosure rate in November with one in every 165 houses receiving a foreclosure filing for the month.

Nevada had the dubious honor of posting the nation's highest foreclosure activity in November. California was third.