2010 a record year for foreclosure filings in Dallas-Fort Worth

Dallas-Fort Worth home foreclosure filings hit a record in 2010 – but not by much.

For all of this year, 63,835 homes have been posted for foreclosure in the four-county area, Foreclosure Listing Service said Thursday. That's only 4 percent higher than 2009's total.

Foreclosure postings in North Texas were up more than 20 percent in 2009 and 17 percent in 2008.

"The rate of increase has slowed, and it looks like 2010 is kind of the pivotal year as far as foreclosures here are concerned," said George Roddy, president of the Addison-based foreclosure-tracking firm. "But they are still going to be high into 2011."

Filings for December foreclosure sales have already been made, so the full-year numbers are available.

The biggest increase in home foreclosure filings this year was in Denton County, which was up 10 percent from 2009.

Dallas County residential foreclosure filings rose only 2 percent for 2010.

So far, foreclosure moratoriums caused by problems with lender paperwork and procedures haven't affected the rate of D-FW foreclosure filings.

For December's auctions, almost 6,100 North Texas homes are threatened with foreclosure – 16 percent more than a year earlier. It was only the third month in 2010 that postings topped 6,000.

Roddy said it's too early to forecast the results of lenders' foreclosure problems and calls for government intervention in the process.

"It's becoming more muddled as to what the outcome is," he said. "Will it be massive lawsuits?

"And what will the impact be on the consumer and home values?"

Not all the foreclosure postings each month result in home sales by lenders. In more than half the cases, the foreclosure is delayed or the borrower makes a new agreement with the mortgage company.

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