Foreclosures across the U.S. ballooned in the first half of the year, a sign of the increasing financial strain facing the nation’s homeowners.<\/p>\n
Foreclosure filings reached nearly 228,000 from January to June, up 21% from a year ago and 28% from two years ago, according to data released Thursday from real estate data company ATTOM.<\/p>\n
Rising foreclosure rates indicate that more homeowners are in financial distress, Rob Barber, CEO of ATTOM, said in a statement. Homes go into foreclosure when the owner falls behind on mortgage payments, often due to extenuating life circumstances such as a job loss. ATTOM defines foreclosures as default notices, scheduled auctions or bank repossessions.<\/p>\n
The states with the biggest jumps in foreclosure activity in the first half of the year were:<\/p>\n
Idaho, where filings increased 59% compared to the same period in 2025 Colorado, where filings increased 57%Georgia, where filings were up 52%.\u00a0<\/p>\n
When it comes to the highest overall foreclosure rates, Florida dominates. In June alone, one in every 2,106 housing units in the state had a foreclosure filing.<\/p>\n
Foreclosures, which totaled 640,864 in 2019, dipped during the pandemic but are now creeping back up, per ATTOM data.\u00a0<\/p>\n
With the data showing that foreclosure rates are returning to their pre-pandemic levels, “the increases also suggest that some homeowners may be facing greater financial strain than they were a year ago,” Barber said.<\/p>\n
In another sign of strain for American homeowners, new data<\/a> from Realtor.com reveals that short sales \u2014 when a homeowner sells a home for less than what they owe on their mortgage often to avoid foreclosure \u2014 are climbing.\u00a0<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n