Map of U.S. Foreclosure Activity

Below is a map of American foreclosure activity in July 2008. Click to enlarge:

One issue with this data is defining "foreclosure activity" in a meaningful way. Many homeowners can file for bankruptcy, thereby preventing actual foreclosure. Therefore, a particular homeowner does not necessarily lose his or her home merely by having "foreclosure activity," such as a notice of default [NOD].

Comments

[jay fredrickson]

excellent map, shows California, Florida and Phoenix areas as being in big trouble with continued price depreciation in homes a no-brainer.

Jay Fredrickson

[billddrummer]

The Nevada map is interesting. Clark County (Las Vegas) is represented, but Nye County is too. Nye County is largely rural, and has only one town of any size--Pahrump. Pahrump is an exurb of North Las Vegas, and with fuel rising, people have been moving closer to Vegas and abandoning properties in Pahrump. The population is quite small, so the impact of the move-outs is more dramatic.

Another county that's highlighted is Lyon County, south of Carson City. That locale is also principally rural, and was developed as a bedroom community for government employees. With state government facing a hiring freeze, development dollars gone, and mortgage dollars harder to find, it's not surprising.

What would be interesting would be to look at this map in another six months to see how many of the pink counties turn to red.

[300mph]

The term in the graph title "Households per Property" is not defined. What does this term mean?

[mikeh58]

Some people still think Hawaii is another country, I guess.

[mikeh58]

Some people still think Hawaii is another country, I guess