Foreclosures Fall 9% Nationwide During April

/PRNewswire/ -- Foreclosure Deals, a leader in providing listings of foreclosed homes for sale nationwide, reported today that foreclosure filings in April fell 9% from the previous month, and over 2% from April of 2009. The company also revealed that default notices, which mark the beginning of a new foreclosure, were down 12% from March and over 27% from the previous year, while bank repossessions (also known as REOs) of existing foreclosures hit a record high. These facts lead experts to believe the foreclosure market could be leveling off.

"Fewer foreclosure homes coming onto the market and more foreclosures being resolved by bank repossession is certainly a sign that the market is contracting," remarked James Foxx, a business analyst with Foreclosure Deals. "We have yet to see how this trend will play out, but if it continues it will lead to fast-growing foreclosure property values for foreclosure investors who act now."

The statistics show that the highest volume of foreclosures is concentrated in 5 states: Florida, California, Michigan, Illinois and Nevada. These states account for just over 50% of the national total. The Top 5 states for foreclosure rates remain Nevada, Arizona, Florida, California and relative newcomer Utah. Michigan saw the highest increase in foreclosures in the past year at 77%, while California saw the biggest drop, down 29%. California also saw the biggest monthly drop at 27%, with Georgia close behind, falling 21%.

Reno, NV was the only city among the Top 10 cities for foreclosure rates that saw an increase in foreclosures from April of 2009, another good sign for the national market. Other cities like Las Vegas, NV; Modesto, CA; Bakersfield, CA; Phoenix, AZ; Cape Coral, FL and Fort Myers, FL, all saw their foreclosure rates decrease over the past year.

Other states in the Top 10 for foreclosure rates were Idaho, at 1 in 226 homes; Georgia at 1 in 288 homes; and Colorado, at 1 in 337 homes. Despite being among the Top 10 states for foreclosure volume, Texas, Ohio and Virginia were not among the Top 10 states for rates of foreclosure.

Foreclosure Deals specializes in providing the most recent foreclosure news and information, as well as foreclosure listings from across the nation. Visit www.ForeclosureDeals.com to learn more.

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Bankrate: Mortgage Rates Decline Amid Market Volatility

/PRNewswire/ -- Mortgage rates were down for the third week in a row, with the average conforming 30-year fixed mortgage rate falling to 5.07 percent, according to Bankrate.com's weekly national survey. The average 30-year fixed mortgage has an average of 0.42 discount and origination points.

To see mortgage rates in your area, go to http://www.bankrate.com/funnel/mortgages/

The average 15-year fixed mortgage stepped down to 4.45 percent and the larger jumbo 30-year fixed rate sank to 5.85 percent. Adjustable rate mortgages were mostly lower, with the average 3-year ARM backpedalling to 4.44 percent while the 5-year ARM dropped to 4.27 percent.

Worries over European debt rattled financial markets and brought mortgage rates to the lowest level since St. Patrick's Day. Once again mortgage shoppers were direct beneficiaries as nervous investors equate to lower mortgage rates. Furthermore, this cloud of global economic uncertainty likely gives the Federal Reserve even more latitude to hold the line on interest rates, so mortgage rates will stay a little lower, a little longer, than what was forecast just a few weeks ago.

The last time mortgage rates were above 6 percent was Nov. 2008. At that time, the average rate was 6.33 percent, meaning a $200,000 loan would have carried a monthly payment of $1,241.86. With the average rate now 5.07 percent, the monthly payment for the same size loan would be $1,082.22, a savings of $159 per month for a homeowner refinancing now.

SURVEY RESULTS
30-year fixed: 5.07% -- down from 5.12% last week (avg. points: 0.42)
15-year fixed: 4.45% -- down from 4.49% last week (avg. points: 0.39)
5/1 ARM: 4.27% -- down from 4.31% last week (avg. points: 0.35)

Bankrate's national weekly mortgage survey is conducted each Wednesday from data provided by the top 10 banks and thrifts in the top 10 markets.

For a full analysis of this week's move in mortgage rates, go to http://www.bankrate.com/mortgagerates

The survey is complemented by Bankrate's weekly Rate Trend Index, in which a panel of mortgage experts predicts which way the rates are headed over the next seven days. Nearly two-thirds of the panelists, 64 percent, don't expect much change in mortgage rates and forecast that rates will be more or less unchanged over the next week. Count 29 percent as predicting an increase in mortgage rates, with just 7 percent foreseeing further declines over the next seven days.

For the full mortgage Rate Trend Index, go to http://www.bankrate.com/RTI

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