Foreclosure Starts vs. Bank Repossessions
Foreclosure starts for each home a lender took back, by ATTOM's monthly counts
Where the Foreclosure Starts vs. Bank Repossessions stands now
The Foreclosure Starts vs. Bank Repossessions was 4.5 times in August 2026, the lowest in data back to 2024.
What it means for households: Foreclosure Statistics Behind on payments? Foreclosure: What to Know
How the Foreclosure Starts vs. Bank Repossessions has moved since 2024
Foreclosure starts as a multiple of bank repossessions, August 2026: 4.5 times
Foreclosure starts per bank repossession (REO), ATTOM monthly counts: 4.5 times in August 2026. Monthly, 2024–2026.
What the Foreclosure Starts vs. Bank Repossessions measures
Foreclosure Starts vs. Bank Repossessions by month, 2024 to 2026
| Month | Ratio | Change from a year earlier |
|---|---|---|
| Aug 2026 | 4.5x | — |
| Jul 2026 | 5.6x | — |
| Jun 2026 | 5.5x | −0.11x |
| Dec 2025 | 4.8x | −1.8x |
| Sep 2025 | 6.3x | — |
| Jun 2025 | 5.6x | — |
| Dec 2024 | 6.6x | — |
Monthly · ATTOM Data Solutions
Counties with the highest default and legal scores
There's no county figure for this measure, so this list uses the default and legal part of our County Distress Index.
| Rank | County | Score (0–100) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Coahoma County, MS | 99 |
| 2 | Clayton County, GA | 98.8 |
| 3 | Petersburg city, VA | 98.8 |
| 4 | Russell County, AL | 98.2 |
| 5 | Dougherty County, GA | 98.2 |
| 6 | Dallas County, AL | 98.1 |
| 7 | Bibb County, GA | 97.8 |
| 8 | Lauderdale County, TN | 97.1 |
| 9 | Crittenden County, AR | 96.9 |
| 10 | Montgomery County, AL | 96.9 |
Questions about the Foreclosure Starts vs. Bank Repossessions
What does foreclosure starts vs. bank repossessions measure?
It compares two ATTOM counts from the same month: properties where lenders started foreclosure and properties lenders repossessed. In August 2026, starts were 4.5 times repossessions. The two are separate flows of different properties, so the ratio is not the number of properties still in process.
Does a ratio above one mean the foreclosure backlog is growing?
Not on its own. Cases also end through a catch-up, a loan change, a regular sale, or a sale to another buyer at the foreclosure auction, and none of those count as repossessions. The number of properties still in foreclosure is a separate measure that this ratio does not provide.
Where do the foreclosure starts and repossessions data come from?
ATTOM Data Solutions, a private property-data company, collects publicly recorded and published foreclosure documents from counties covering more than 99 percent of the U.S. population. It publishes monthly counts of foreclosure starts and bank repossessions, usually within a month after the month ends; American Default Research divides one by the other.
Sources and method for the Foreclosure Starts vs. Bank Repossessions
- ATTOM Data Solutions We use the monthly figures as published, from December 2024 through August 2026, with no adjustment of our own. ATTOM Data Solutions doesn’t adjust this ratio for the season, so compare a month with the same month a year earlier. ATTOM Data Solutions’s report
We write with assistance from AI tools. Figures come from the data and sources named on this page.