Georgia’s foreclosure activity ticked up in October but is still down significantly from the same time last year, according to a report released Thursday.
RealtyTrac’s monthly data show the state’s foreclosure activity jumped about 16 percent from September. But it has fallen 20 percent compared with the same time last year, according to the figures.
It’s another mixed signal for the state’s housing market, still struggling to recover from the burst real estate bubble.
A closely watched report released last month showed Atlanta, the center of Georgia’s housing market, is one of only a few major metro areas where home prices remain stuck below their January 2000 levels. But it also indicated that home prices in the metro area had inched upward for five straight months.
National numbers reflect a similar trend. Foreclosure activity increased by 3 percent from September to October, but the flurry of filings was still down about 19 percent from October 2011.
RealtyTrac vice president Daren Blomquist said the “vastly different foreclosure trends” nationally hinge on the process each state has used to handle filings since 2010, with some states, including Georgia, making it easier for properties to fall into foreclosure.
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