Foreclosure filings increase 5% in May: Attom

The number of homes with a foreclosure filing increased 5% in May over the previous month, as properties entering the process also increased by 5%.

There were 81,495 properties that had a foreclosure filing at the end of the month, compared with 77,049 in April, according to Attom Data Solutions. Filings were down 19% compared with May 2016 and there has been 20 consecutive months with a year-over-year decline.

During May, 35,787 properties were put into the foreclosure process (down 15% from May 2016), while 27,086 properties ended the process.

Nationwide, one in every 1,636 homes had a foreclosure filing of some type, whether it was a default notice, scheduled auction or bank repossession.

The states with the highest foreclosure rates were New Jersey (one in every 515), Delaware (one in every 753); Maryland (one in every 1,006), Illinois (one in every 1,057) and Oklahoma (one in every 1,081).