RealtyTrac released their foreclosure report for 2010 which showed some mixed results. During 2010 there were 2,871,891 foreclosure filings in the U.S., an increase of 1.67 percent from 2009. However the metro areas with the 10 highest foreclosure rates all saw decreases in foreclosure filings in 2010 from the year before, in fact six of the ten metros even had decreased foreclosure activity from 2008. 

Nineteen of the top 20 metro foreclosure rates were in cities in just four states; California, Florida, Nevada and Arizona.

“Foreclosure floodwaters receded somewhat in 2010 in the nation’s hardest-hit housing markets,” said James J. Saccacio, chief executive officer of RealtyTrac. “Even so, foreclosure levels remained five to 10 times higher than historic norms in most of those hard-hit markets, where deep faultlines of risk remain and could potentially trigger more waves of foreclosure activity in 2011 and beyond. Meanwhile foreclosures became more widespread in 2010 as high unemployment drove activity up in 72 percent of the nation’s metro areas — many of which were relatively insulated from the initial foreclosure tsunami.”

Las Vegas finished 2010 where it started, at the top of the charts for foreclosure rates with one in every 9 housing units (10.88 percent) receiving a foreclosure filing during the year. Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Florida posted the nation’s second-highest foreclosure rate in 2010 with one in every 12 housing units (8.40 percent) receiving a foreclosure filing during the year. Coming in third was Modesto, CA with one in every 14 housing units (7.34 percent) receiving a foreclosure filing during the year.

2010 Year-End U.S. Metro Foreclosure Market Data

source-.realestateindustrynews.com