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ALEX VEIGA | AP Real Estate Writer | “The number of U.S. homes that got started on the path to foreclosure fell last year to a low not seen since before the high-flying days of the housing boom, the latest evidence that the threat of foreclosures continues to diminish. Lenders also took back the fewestRead more

By Josh Salman | Herald-Tribune “New home defaults throughout Southwest Florida have returned to the pace experienced before the market’s crash. Although the local court system continue to grapple with a backlog of 11,880 old foreclosure cases, the flow of loans becoming delinquent has slowed to a point that recalls 2006 — the height of last decade’sRead more

“Realty Trac has released new data from July showing the Florida counties with the highest foreclosure rate.” See slideshow here

By John Hielscher | Herald-Tribune | “A popular tax break that has saved struggling Southwest Florida homeowners millions of dollars is slated to expire at the end of this year. The tax deduction on forgiven mortgage debt has been available for the past seven years, one of a number of measures intended to ease financial pressure broughtRead more

ROBERT JABLON | Associated Press | “The Los Angeles city attorney sued Wells Fargo and Citigroup on Thursday, alleging the companies engaged in mortgage discrimination that led to a wave of foreclosures in minority communities during the housing crash. The twin lawsuits, filed in federal court, are the latest fallout from the 2008 collapse of theRead more

Kenneth Harney | U-T San Diego | “Why have many of the local housing markets that were hit hardest during the bust — especially in California — bounced back so vigorously and quickly, with prices close to or exceeding what they were in 2005 and 2006? And why have many others along the East CoastRead more

ASSOCIATED PRESS | “Two Florida cities lead the nation in foreclosures of high-end properties worth $5 million or more. The research firm RealtyTrac said in a report Wednesday that Miami and Orlando were at the top of the list of foreclosure activity on homes in the $5 million-plus range. Other cities with high numbers of foreclosureRead more

Eric Kalis | Palm Beach Post | The Real Deal | “For homeowners in Florida, obtaining a loan modification through the federal government is not necessarily preventing future defaults. The inspector general for the Troubled Asset Relief Program says 27 percent of Florida homeowners who modified mortgages through the Home Affordable Modification Program have onceRead more

Pamela M. Prah | Stateline | “Some of the states hit hardest by the foreclosure crisis aren’t spending millions of dollars that the federal government has set aside to help struggling homeowners, a new report shows. Of $7.6 billion the federal government has provided in the “Hardest Hit Fund” to help homeowners, states have disbursedRead more

Roger Weeder | First Coast News | “Foreclosure courts are in full swing across the state, including Duval County, which has 2,700 cases that date back to before 2010. Six judges are handling the load, holding hearings four days a week and clearing out nearly 300 cases a week, according to the Clerk of Courts office. In GreenRead more