In May, Georgia posted the highest foreclosure rate in the nation, a real estate firm said, with one in 300 housing units subject to a notice or reposession.
From that perspective, it appeared that things could only get better.
They did, but not much.
The latest report from RealtyTrac shows Georgia ranked 4th in the country in foreclosures in June, with one in 336 housing units with a foreclosure filing, trailing only California, Arizona and Nevada.
The June numbers represented a nearly 11 percent decrease from May.
That relatively good news was offset somewhat, however, by other numbers.
For one, the total number of Georgia properties with a foreclosure filing in June 2012 was still about 25 percent higher than what was reported for June 2011.
With one foreclosure per 63 housing units for the first six months of this year, Georgia ranked 3rd in the nation, after Nevada and Arizona.
Foreclosure activity can be volatile when viewed from a monthly perspective, but from a longer-term perspective it can provide an important indicator of the market.
The number of properties with a foreclosure filing also increased 3 percent in the second quarter of 2012 compared to the first quarter of 2012.
Experts have said that the housing market nationally could turn around this year, and sales volume and new home construction starts have improved. Still, the number of foreclosed homes is a blight on the market, holding down prices and keeping some potential sellers from putting their properties up for sale.
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