Foreclosure Activity Up During Q1

A total of 93,953 residential properties carried foreclosure filings during the first quarter of this year, according to new data from ATTOM. This is up by 11% from the previous quarter but down 2% from one year ago. Nationwide one in every 1,515 housing units had a foreclosure filing in the first quarter.

ATTOM also noted that 35,890 properties had foreclosure filings in March, up 11% from February and up 9% from March 2024. Nationwide in March, one in every 3,965 properties had a foreclosure filing.

A total of 68,794 properties started the foreclosure process in the first quarter, up 14% from the fourth quarter of 2024 and up 2% from the first quarter of 2024. The states that had 100 or more foreclosures starts in the first quarter and saw the greatest annual increase were Kansas (up 117%), Delaware (up 58%), Oklahoma (up 45%), Utah (up 42%), and Wyoming (up 33%).

Lenders repossessed 9,691 properties through foreclosure (REO) in first quarter, up 8% from the previous quarter but down 4% from one year earlier.

“Following three consecutive quarters of decline, foreclosure activity ticked up in the first quarter of 2025, with notable growth in both starts and completions,” said Rob Barber, CEO at ATTOM. “While levels remain below historical averages, the quarterly growth suggests that some homeowners may be starting to feel the pressure of ongoing economic challenges. However, strong home equity positions in many markets continue to help buffer against a more significant spike in distress.”