Sonoma County’s foreclosure rates in March remained the highest in more than a year, and one out of every 15 homeowners was delinquent on the mortgage.
The foreclosures rate was 2.04 percent in March, compared to 1.58 percent for March 2009, according to data released Wednesday from CoreLogic, formerly First American CoreLogic.
The rate includes loans that are in various stages of the foreclosure process, from those that are more than 90 days delinquent through those where the property is sold at auction.
The rate of mortgages in delinquency also was up from last year. CoreLogic reported that 7.49 percent of mortgage loans were 90 days or more delinquent, compared to 4.66 percent for the same period last year. That rate also was the highest in more than a year.
Real estate agents and brokers say the county still has large numbers of distressed properties, and they see no end to the housing crisis.
The county rates are lower than the state and nation. California posted a foreclosure rate of 3.29 percent, compared to 3.23 for the U.S. The state’s delinquency rate was 11.7 percent, compared to 8.93 percent for the nation. All those rates were up from a year ago.
— Robert Digitale