Property data curator ATTOM released its Mid-Year 2024 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, which showed there were a total of 177,431 U.S. properties with foreclosure filings in the first six months of 2024.

That figure is down 4.4 percent from the same time period a year ago but up 7.8 percent from the same time period two years ago.

“In contrast to the first half of 2023, foreclosure activity across the United States experienced a decline in the first half of 2024,” Rob Barber, CEO for ATTOM, said in a release. “In addition, U.S. foreclosure starts also decreased by 3 percent in the first six months of 2024.  These shifts could suggest a potential stabilization in the housing market; however, monitoring these evolving patterns remains crucial to understanding the full impact on the real estate sector.”

States that saw the greatest increases in foreclosure activity compared to a year included South Dakota (up 93 percent); North Dakota (up 86 percent); Kentucky (up 73 percent); Massachusetts (up 46 percent); and Idaho (up 30 percent).

Nationwide, 0.13 percent of all housing units (one in every 794) had a foreclosure filing in the first half of 2024.

States with the highest foreclosure rates were New Jersey (0.21 percent of housing units with a foreclosure filing); Illinois (0.21 percent); Florida (0.20 percent); Nevada (0.19 percent); and South Carolina (0.19 percent).

Other states with first-half foreclosure rates among the 10 highest nationwide were Maryland (0.19 percent); Connecticut (0.19 percent); Delaware (0.18 percent); Ohio (0.18 percent); and Indiana (0.16 percent).

Among the 224 metropolitan statistical areas with a population of at least 200,000, those with the highest foreclosure rates were Lakeland, Fla. (0.32 percent of housing units with foreclosure filings); Columbia, S.C. (0.31 percent); Atlantic City, N.J. (0.28 percent); Cleveland, (0.27 percent); and Spartanburg, S.C. (0.27 percent).

Other major metro areas with foreclosure rates ranking among the top 10 highest in the first half of 2024 were Jacksonville, Fla. (0.25 percent of housing units with a foreclosure filing);

Bakersfield, Calif. (0.25 percent); Elkhart, Ind. (0.24 percent); Orlando, Fla. (0.24 percent); and Chicago, (0.24 percent).

A total of 130,369 U.S. properties started the foreclosure process in the first six months of 2024, down 3.5 percent from the first half of last year and down 32 percent from the first half of 2020.

States that saw the greatest number of foreclosures starts included Texas (15,375 foreclosure starts); Florida (15,251 foreclosure starts); California (14,964 foreclosure starts); New York (7,523 foreclosure starts); and Illinois (7,240 foreclosure starts).

Lenders foreclosed (REO) on a total of 18,726 U.S. properties in the first six months of 2024, down 17 percent from the first half of 2023 and down 10 percent from the first half of 2022, but up 92 percent from the first half of 2021.

States that posted the greatest number of REOs included California (1,575 REOs); Pennsylvania (1,568 REOs); Illinois (1,540 REOs); Michigan (1,432 REOs); and Texas (1,197 REOs).