Garden State facing withering backlog of foreclosures

Garden State facing withering backlog of foreclosures
FEB 23, 2012
New Jersey must work through a backlog of 50,000 to 100,000 unprocessed foreclosures because of delays caused by an investigation into how lenders handled the filings, said Richard Constable, acting commissioner of the state Community Affairs Department. Foreclosures slowed to about 10,000 last year from 50,000 in 2010 and 150,000 two years ago after claims of “robo- signing” -- unverified documents sped through the system -- spurred an investigation by state attorneys general at the end of 2010, Constable said today at a meeting of mayors in the Statehouse in Trenton. As many as 100,000 properties will soon come to market in New Jersey as banks resume processing foreclosure sales, Constable said. The state will work with towns to make sure that the foreclosures don't blight neighborhoods, he said. New Jersey has the second-highest inventory of homes in foreclosure after Florida, with 6.4 percent of all dwellings with a mortgage in the process, according to data released today by CoreLogic Inc., a Santa Ana, California-based data real estate information company. Nationally, 1.4 million homes, or 3.4 percent of those with a mortgage, were in foreclosure as of December. New Jersey also had the second-longest average foreclosure process, at 964 days in the fourth quarter, after New York, where properties took an average of 1,019 days to complete the process, RealtyTrac said in a report last month. Nationwide, the average was 348 days, according to the Irvine, California-based property-data company. --Bloomberg News--

Latest News

Federal judge dismisses Eltek manipulation lawsuit against Morgan Stanley Smith Barney
Federal judge dismisses Eltek manipulation lawsuit against Morgan Stanley Smith Barney

Nine-month electronic trading freeze and share lending program at the center of dismissed claim.

RIA wrap: Dynamic strikes South Carolina deal to reach $7B AUM milestone
RIA wrap: Dynamic strikes South Carolina deal to reach $7B AUM milestone

Meanwhile, Rossby Financial's leadership buildout rolls on with a new COO appointment as Balefire Wealth welcomes a distinguished retirement specialist to its national network.

Rethinking diversification amid a concentrated S&P 500
Rethinking diversification amid a concentrated S&P 500

With a smaller group of companies driving stock market performance, advisors must work more intentionally to manage concentration risks within client portfolios.

Merrill pays second settlement to former Miami Dolphins player, client of ex-broker
Merrill pays second settlement to former Miami Dolphins player, client of ex-broker

Professional athletes are often targets of scam artists and are particularly vulnerable to fraud.

Schwab touts AI as its biggest growth lever at investor day
Schwab touts AI as its biggest growth lever at investor day

The brokerage giant tells Wall Street it will use artificial intelligence to reach clients it has never been able to serve — and turn the technology's perceived threat into a competitive edge.

SPONSORED Beyond wealth management: Why the future of advice is becoming more human

As technical expertise becomes increasingly commoditized, advisors who can integrate strategy, relationships, and specialized expertise into a cohesive client experience will define the next era of wealth management

SPONSORED Durability over scale: What actually defines a great advisory firm

Growth may get the headlines, but in my experience, longevity is earned through structure, culture, and discipline