Thursday, August 30, 2012 / by Carlos J Higareda
REO Inventory Posts Big Drop From a Year Ago
The amount of foreclosed homes on banks’ books has dropped by 18 percent in the last year, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. reports. The FDIC also says that levels have been dropping since the third quarter of 2010.
As of June 30, banks held $41.7 billion in REO properties — that’s down from $51.2 billion one year prior.
But more foreclosures are likely on the way, a recent report by CoreLogic warns. About 1.3 million homes are in the foreclosure process. While that’s down from 1.5 million reported a year ago, the numbers are still elevated.
Still, while "levels of troubled assets and troubled institutions remain high ... they are continuing to improve," says Martin Gruenberg, FDIC acting chairman.
The improvements are leading more banks to post greater profits and even start to lend more. Lending rose 15 percent compared to last year, according to the FDIC report.
Source: “Bank REO Down 18% From One Year Ago,” HousingWire (Aug. 28, 2012)