Foreclosure activity climbed sharply across the United States in the first half of the year, underscoring the mounting financial pressure on many homeowners.
From January through June, foreclosure filings totaled nearly 228,000, a 21% increase from the same period last year and a 28% jump from two years earlier, according to figures released Thursday by real estate data firm ATTOM.
Rob Barber, ATTOM’s CEO, said the rise points to a growing number of homeowners facing financial hardship. A property typically enters foreclosure after an owner falls behind on mortgage payments, often following a major setback such as job loss or other difficult life circumstances. ATTOM’s foreclosure count includes default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions.
The largest increases in foreclosure activity during the first six months of the year were reported in these states:
Florida stood out for having one of the nation’s highest overall foreclosure rates. In June, one in every 2,106 housing units in the state had a foreclosure filing.
Foreclosures totaled 640,864 in 2019 before dropping during the pandemic, but ATTOM’s data shows they have been gradually moving higher again.
As foreclosure levels move closer to where they were before the pandemic, Barber said the trend also suggests some homeowners may be under more financial stress than they were a year ago.
In another sign of strain for American homeowners, new data from Realtor.com reveals that short sales — when a homeowner sells a home for less than what they owe on their mortgage often to avoid foreclosure — are climbing.
While the measure is less drastic than a foreclosure, it indicates the homeowner is in some sort of financial crunch. Short sales rose 16% in the first quarter of 2026 compared to the same time last year, according to Realtor.com.
Aimee Picchi
