Cincinnati Real Estate

According to foreclosure-tracking firm RealtyTrac, monthly foreclosure filings fell 2 percent in May to just under 215,000 filings nationwide. Foreclosure counts have now dropped over 16 consecutive months, dating back to January 2010.

November marked the first time since February 2009 that the number of monthly foreclosures filings failed to surpass 300,000 units.

Foreclosures are a big part of the housing market, with distressed properties accounting for 35 percent of all home resales last month, according to the National Association of REALTORS®. But for as common as foreclosures can be, they remain a localized concern.

June marks the 16th straight month the filings topped 300,000. 1 in every 411 U.S. homes received some form of notice last month with foreclosure density varying wildly from state-to-state. Like everything else in real estate, it seems, foreclosures are a local phenomenon.

According to foreclosure-tracking firm RealtyTrac.com, bank repossessions reached record levels for the second straight month in May, topping 93,000 properties nationwide. All 50 states are up, year-over-year.