Move over California. Florida led the nation in January in the percentage and total number of properties in foreclosure, according to monthly figures released Wednesday by RealtyTrac.
For the fifth month in a row, Florida had the highest rate of foreclosures in the nation, with one in every 300 Florida housing units under some type of foreclosure filing. That’s more than twice the national average and 20 percent higher than a year earlier.
Florida also had the dubious honor of bypassing California for the total number of foreclosure filings for the month, marking the first time that California has been out of the top spot since 2007.
Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties accounted for the bulk of homes under foreclosure. But Ocala held the top spot among metropolitan areas, with one in 223 homes involved in foreclosures during the month.
Nationally, the number of foreclosures dropped 28 percent in January from the year before.
