According to an article on CNNMoney.com, 26 of the areas with the highest foreclosure rates are concentrated in the states of Nevada, California, Florida and Arizona. These are traditionally warm states, hot! RealtyTrac, an internet marketer of foreclosures, states that metro areas in these four states topped the foreclosure filing list for the first quarter of 2009. Las Vegas topped the list altogether.
It's peculiar that the states with the highest foreclosure filings are in tropically warm cities. Ever wonder why? Here are a few personal theories:
I'd have to guess one reason is that older individuals flock to warmer climates for retirement, many purchasing homes. We've all heard rumblings throughout the years of senior citizens being taken advantage of by predatory lending practices. Foreclosure rates have skyrocketed in warmer climates where many seniors reside. I wonder how many of these foreclosure filings are due to unrealistic arms, predatory refinancing, reverse mortgage, and the like.
Another gander is second homes. Many people buy second homes, “vacation” properties, in warmer climates. Miami, baby! I'd love to own a condo on the beach near Sunny Isles one day, but the maintenance fees and other monthly carrying charges have kept me simply salivating at the window. But many people have jumped into purchasing second homes in states like Florida, only to see the market take a dive.
We've seen more than a few harsh hurricane seasons on the Floridian peninsula over the last decade. I wonder how many condo associations have suffered because the property insurance wasn’t adequate to cover hurricane damage, which means condo owners likely had to dig into their own pockets to make up the difference. It’d be interesting to know how many condos in this scenario contribute to the foreclosure crisis. Just something to make you go, "Hmmmm..."
Further, the hot states that hold these secondary homes, vacation rentals, are not as busy with tourists as they used to be re: a recession riddled with increasing layoffs and deep cutbacks. Lack of disposable income is simply keeping people close to home. And, in reality, an investor's second home is also likely to be an investor's second priority when it comes to making a mortgage payment on the heels of a job loss or small business shutdown. Many investors are walking away from their vacation homes in an effort to save their primary residence.
"I'd bet my bottom dollar a large number of foreclosures in areas like Las Vegas are second homes," said Cassandra Black of Foreclosure Cleanup, LLC in Atlanta. Las Vegas led the pack with one in every 22 homes receiving a foreclosure filing during the first quarter of 2009. That’s more than seven times the national average. Merced, California ran a close second with one in every 24 homes. Wow!
Other metro areas on the top 10 list were in the Golden State of California in areas like Riverside-San Bernardino, Modesto, Bakersfield, etc. , along with the Sunshine State's Port St. Lucie and Arizona's Phoenix.
Across the board, there are varying reasons why foreclosure rates have peaked in certain areas, but these are just a few theories why foreclosure rates have skyrocketed in "hot" areas.
To view the full list of areas with the highest foreclosure rates, visit http://www.ForeclosureCleanup.biz and click on Foreclosure Rate Data.
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