Foreclosure Statistics 2026: Filings Up 32%, FHA Delinquency Hits 11.5%
Foreclosure filings rose 32.0% year-over-year in 2026-Q1. FHA delinquency hit 11.5% in 2025-Q4 — the highest level since Q2 2010 and roughly 6.5x the conventional rate of 1.8%. ATTOM, MBA, and Federal Reserve data, updated quarterly.
Last updated: 2026-04-27
What Is the Foreclosure Rate in 2026?
Foreclosure filings are up 32.0% year-over-year as of 2026-Q1, according to ATTOM Data Solutions, the latest quarter of rising activity. The single-family residential mortgage delinquency rate (90+ days past due) stands at 1.8% — still near historic lows, according to Federal Reserve data.
The headline numbers hide the distress. FHA delinquency reached 11.5% in 2025-Q4, the highest level since Q2 2010, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association's National Delinquency Survey. One in nine FHA borrowers is now behind on payments. That's 9.7 percentage points above the conventional rate — entry-level homeowners (lower credit scores, smaller down payments) defaulting at a completely different pace than the borrowers sitting on equity cushions. The American Distress Index currently reads 64.4 (Elevated).
Key Foreclosure Statistics at a Glance
Mortgage and foreclosure indicators feed the American Distress Index through its Debt Stress component (41.6% weight). Foreclosure sits at the end of the distress cascade — households have already exhausted savings, fallen behind on credit cards, and drawn down retirement accounts before a foreclosure filing appears. The FHA delinquency rate, running 6.5x the conventional rate, shows where the pressure is concentrating: first-time buyers, government-insured loans, 2022-2023 vintage originations.
How Does FHA Delinquency Compare to 2010?
FHA delinquency at 11.5% is the highest since Q2 2010, when it peaked at 13.3% during the financial crisis recovery. The current reading is 1.77 percentage points below the all-time high. What makes the comparison misleading is the structural difference: in 2010, FHA distress rode a wave of adjustable-rate resets and mass unemployment above 9%. Today it is arriving through a different channel — fixed-rate mortgages whose escrow components (property taxes, homeowner's insurance) have re-priced faster than incomes, hitting borrowers with the thinnest buffers first.
FHA Mortgage Delinquency Rate (%)
Source: MBA National Delinquency Survey. Quarterly, 2007–present.
Full data: The FHA Signal indicator page
How Fast Is FHA Delinquency Rising?
Zooming into the post-pandemic window shows a cleaner view of the current cycle. Pandemic-era forbearance and stimulus suppressed defaults, creating a temporary trough. Since the programs wound down, FHA delinquency has climbed toward the pre-crisis baseline and beyond. The conventional mortgage rate, at 1.8%, has barely moved. One market is in distress. The other is not. The average labels them both as "mortgages" and reports the blended number.
FHA Delinquency Rate, 2019–Present (%)
Source: MBA National Delinquency Survey. Quarterly.
Why Does the Foreclosure Pipeline Ratio Matter?
ATTOM tracks the ratio between properties entering the foreclosure pipeline (starts) and those exiting it (completions). The latest reading: 4.75 to 1. The pipeline is shortening from its 6.55 peak a year earlier, but four-plus properties are still entering for every one that finishes. The backlog is structural, not residual. A borrower who fell behind in early 2024 may not lose the house until 2026 or later. The pipeline doesn't move at the speed of distress — it moves at the speed of courts, servicers, and state-level statutory timelines. Average time in process: 608 days.
The Payment Cascade
Foreclosure is a late-stage signal. By the time a filing appears, the household has typically already:
- Exhausted emergency savings and available credit
- Fallen behind on credit card payments
- Fallen behind on auto payments
- Drawn down retirement accounts (hardship withdrawals)
- Cut discretionary spending
If you're behind on mortgage payments, understanding where foreclosure sits in this cascade helps prioritize which options to pursue first. Servicer loss-mitigation options work best before the 60-day threshold.
How Do Foreclosure Indicators Compare?
The mortgage distress picture splits into three measurements that tell different parts of the same story. The conventional 90-day delinquency rate from the Federal Reserve captures prime borrowers. The NY Fed's all-balances serious delinquency rate captures the broader secured debt picture. The MBA's FHA rate captures the stress hitting entry-level buyers.
| Indicator | Current Rate | Period | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| FHA delinquency (30+ days) | 11.5% | 2025-Q4 | MBA NDS |
| Single-family mortgage delinquency (90+ days) | 1.8% | 2025-Q4 | Federal Reserve (FRED DRSFRMACBS) |
| Serious delinquency, all loan types (90+ days) | 3.1% | 2025-Q4 | NY Fed Household Debt and Credit Report |
| Foreclosure filings (YoY change) | +32.0% | 2026-Q1 | ATTOM Data Solutions |
| Foreclosure starts-to-completions ratio | 4.75:1 | 2025-12 | ATTOM Data Solutions |
Each indicator measures a different part of the mortgage distress pipeline. FHA delinquency (MBA) is an early warning of future foreclosures in entry-level segments. Single-family 90-day delinquency (Federal Reserve) tracks prime mortgage performance. Foreclosure filings (ATTOM) measure the actual legal pipeline.
See also: Mortgage Delinquency 2026 and Housing Affordability Statistics.
FHA Delinquency: Recent Quarterly Data
| Quarter | FHA Delinquency Rate | Year-Over-Year Change |
|---|---|---|
| Q1 2024 | 10.4% | -0.31 pp |
| Q2 2024 | 10.6% | -1.20 pp |
| Q3 2024 | 10.5% | -0.66 pp |
| Q4 2024 | 11.0% | +0.22 pp |
| Q1 2025 | 10.6% | +0.23 pp |
| Q2 2025 | 10.6% | -0.03 pp |
| Q3 2025 | 10.8% | +0.32 pp |
| Q4 2025 | 11.5% | +0.49 pp |
Source: Mortgage Bankers Association National Delinquency Survey. FHA delinquency measures loans 30 or more days past due, released quarterly approximately 6 weeks after quarter end.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the current foreclosure rate in the United States?
Foreclosure filings rose 32.0% year-over-year as of 2026-Q1, according to ATTOM Data Solutions. The single-family residential mortgage 90+ day delinquency rate stands at 1.8% (Federal Reserve data, 2025-Q4), still near historic lows. FHA delinquency, which leads the broader market, reached 11.5% in 2025-Q4 according to the MBA — the highest level since Q2 2010.
How does FHA delinquency compare to conventional mortgage delinquency?
FHA delinquency at 11.5% is running 9.7 percentage points above the conventional 90-day rate of 1.8% — roughly 6.5x the conventional rate. The spread reflects different borrower populations: FHA loans serve first-time buyers with smaller down payments (as low as 3.5%) and lower credit scores, while the conventional rate is weighted toward borrowers with more equity and tighter underwriting. FHA delinquency typically leads conventional delinquency in distress cycles.
Is the current foreclosure activity comparable to the 2008 financial crisis?
No. The GFC peak in single-family mortgage delinquency was 11.5% — against the current 1.8%. Annual filings during the GFC peak reached approximately 2.9 million, versus 367,460 in 2025. The current cycle's distress is concentrated in specific segments (FHA borrowers, 2022-2023 vintages) rather than spread across the mortgage market as in the GFC. That said, the trajectory is rising, not stable, and the FHA population is at levels that last appeared in the post-crisis recovery window.
Why are foreclosure filings rising when unemployment is low?
The distress is coming from the costs surrounding the mortgage. Homeowner's insurance premiums that re-priced after catastrophe losses, property tax reassessments, utility costs, and escrow payments that absorbed every increase the fixed mortgage rate was supposed to render irrelevant. Job loss would be the usual driver. This cycle skipped that chapter. For FHA borrowers with 3.5% down and thin monthly buffers, those increases compound fast. The 2022-2023 vintage locked in rates at the cycle's peak and has the least equity to absorb the escrow creep.
Where does foreclosure data come from?
The three primary sources are: ATTOM Data Solutions (foreclosure filings and pipeline ratios, compiled from county-level court records); Mortgage Bankers Association National Delinquency Survey (delinquency rates by loan type, including FHA); and the Federal Reserve Board (single-family mortgage delinquency rate, series DRSFRMACBS, via FRED). The NY Fed's Household Debt and Credit Report adds an all-balances serious delinquency rate based on the Equifax Consumer Credit Panel (5% nationally representative sample).
Data Sources and Methodology
ATTOM Data Solutions
Foreclosure filings (default notices, scheduled auctions, bank repossessions) aggregated from county recorder and court offices nationwide. Released monthly and quarterly in press releases with YoY comparisons. The starts-to-completions ratio is derived from ATTOM's monthly foreclosure activity reports.
MBA National Delinquency Survey
Quarterly survey of first-lien mortgage servicers covering approximately 40.4 million loans. Reports delinquency rates (30+, 60+, 90+ days) broken out by loan type (conventional, FHA, VA). Released approximately 6 weeks after quarter end.
Federal Reserve (FRED DRSFRMACBS)
Delinquency rate on single-family residential mortgages booked in domestic offices, all commercial banks. Reported quarterly by the Board of Governors. The 90+ day threshold is standard. Series provides the cleanest long-run comparison across cycles.