U.S. foreclosures jump 68 percent

IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 19 (UPI) -- U.S. foreclosures jumped 68 percent from last November but were 10 percent lower than in October, a foreclosure-listing service said Wednesday.

A total of 201,950 foreclosure filings were reported in November, compared with 120,334 in November 2006, RealtyTrac Inc.

A foreclosure is a default notice, auction sale notice or bank repossession.

Forty-three states saw an increase in foreclosure filings over a year earlier.

October's filings were 224,451, the service said.

The October-November drop was the first double-digit monthly decrease RealtyTrac reported since April 2006, the Irvine, Calif., company said.

"This could indicate that foreclosure activity has topped out for the year but the true test of whether this ceiling will hold will come at the beginning of next year" when many adjustable-rate mortgages are to rise, RealtyTrac Chief Executive Officer James Saccacio said.

About $500 billion in adjustable-rate mortgages are due to reset at higher levels in 2008, JPMorgan Chase & Co. said.

Nevada had the nation's top state foreclosure rate for the 11th month, at one for every 152 households -- more than four times the national average of one for every 617 households.

After Nevada were Florida, Ohio, Colorado and California.

California led all states in foreclosure totals, with 39,992. Behind California were Florida, Ohio, Texas and Michigan.