The foreclosure rate in the United States has experienced significant fluctuations over the past two decades, reaching its peak in 2010 at 2.23 percent following the financial crisis. Since then, the rate has steadily declined, with a notable drop to 0.11 percent in 2021 due to government interventions during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2024, the rate stood slightly higher at 0.23 percent but remained well below historical averages, indicating a relatively stable housing market. Impact of economic conditions on foreclosures The foreclosure rate is closely tied to broader economic trends and housing market conditions. During the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, the share of non-performing mortgage loans climbed significantly, with loans 90 to 180 days past due reaching 4.6 percent. Since then, the share of seriously delinquent loans has dropped notably, demonstrating a substantial improvement in mortgage performance. Among other things, the improved mortgage performance has to do with changes in the mortgage approval process. Homebuyers are subject to much stricter lending standards, such as higher credit score requirements. These changes ensure that borrowers can meet their payment obligations and are at a lower risk of defaulting and losing their home. Challenges for potential homebuyers Despite the low foreclosure rates, potential homebuyers face significant challenges in the current market. Homebuyer sentiment worsened substantially in 2021 and remained low across all age groups through 2024, with the 45 to 64 age group expressing the most negative outlook. Factors contributing to this sentiment include high housing costs and various financial obligations. For instance, in 2023, 52 percent of non-homeowners reported that student loan expenses hindered their ability to save for a down payment.

The number of properties with foreclosure filings in the United States declined in 2024, but remained below the pre-pandemic level. Foreclosure filings were reported on approximately 322,100 properties, which was about 34,900 fewer than in 2023. Despite the decrease, 2024 saw one of the lowest foreclosure rates on record.

In the second quarter of 2024, the share of mortgage loans in the foreclosure process in the U.S. decreased slightly to 0.43 percent. Following the outbreak of the coronavirus crisis, mortgage delinquency rates spiked to the highest levels since the Subprime mortgage crisis (2007-2010). To prevent further impact on homeowners, Congress passed the CARES Act that provides foreclosure protections for borrowers with federally backed mortgage loans. As a result, the foreclosure rate fell to historically low levels.

About three percent of U.S. homeowners with a mortgage who were behind on mortgage payments in October 2023 were very likely to face eviction in the next two months due to a foreclosure. Additionally, 18 percent of the respondents were somewhat likely to be evicted. In 2022, the foreclosure rate in the U.S. picked up, after a long period of steady decline after the subprime mortgage crisis.

Following the drastic increase directly after the COVID-19 pandemic, the delinquency rate started to gradually decline, falling below *** percent in the second quarter of 2023. In the second half of 2023, the delinquency rate picked up, but remained stable throughout 2024. In the first quarter of 2025, **** percent of mortgage loans were delinquent. That was significantly lower than the **** percent during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 or the peak of *** percent during the subprime mortgage crisis of 2007-2010. What does the mortgage delinquency rate tell us? The mortgage delinquency rate is the share of the total number of mortgaged home loans in the U.S. where payment is overdue by 30 days or more. Many borrowers eventually manage to service their loan, though, as indicated by the markedly lower foreclosure rates. Total home mortgage debt in the U.S. stood at almost ** trillion U.S. dollars in 2024. Not all mortgage loans are made equal ‘Subprime’ loans, being targeted at high-risk borrowers and generally coupled with higher interest rates to compensate for the risk. These loans have far higher delinquency rates than conventional loans. Defaulting on such loans was one of the triggers for the 2007-2010 financial crisis, with subprime delinquency rates reaching almost ** percent around this time. These higher delinquency rates translate into higher foreclosure rates, which peaked at just under ** percent of all subprime mortgages in 2011.

The year 2021 saw the peak in issuance of residential mortgage backed securities (MBS), at 3.7 trillion U.S. dollars. Since then, MBS issuance has slowed, reaching 1.2 trillion U.S. dollars in 2023. What are mortgage backed securities? A mortgage backed security is a financial instrument in which mortgages are bundled together and sold to investors. The idea is that the risk of these individual mortgages is pooled when they are packaged together. This is a sound investment policy, unless the foreclosure rate increases significantly in a short amount of time. Mortgage risk Since mortgages are loans backed by an asset, the house, the risk is often considered relatively low. However, the loan maturities are very long, sometimes decades, meaning lenders must factor in the risk of a shift in the economic climate. As such, interest rates on longer mortgages tend to be higher than on shorter loans. The ten-year treasury yield influences these rates, since it is a long-term rate that most investors accept as risk-free. Additionally, a decline in the value of homeowner equity could lead to a situation where the debtor is “underwater” and owes more than the home is worth.

Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans had the highest delinquency rate in the United States in 2024. As of the second quarter of the year, 10.6 percent of one-to-four family housing mortgage loans were 30 days or more delinquent. This percentage was lower for conventional loans and Veterans Administration loans. Despite a slight increase, the delinquency rate for all mortgages was one of the lowest on record.

The mortgage delinquency rate for Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans in the United States declined since 2020, when it peaked at 15.65 percent. In the second quarter of 2024, 10.6 percent of FHA loans were delinquent. Historically, FHA mortgages have the highest delinquency rate of all mortgage types.

Greece, Cyprus, and Hungary were the countries with the highest share of non-performing mortgage loans in the second quarter of 2023. In Greece, 8.6 percent of the gross carrying amount of mortgage loans to households was considered non-performing. In Spain, which was the country with the highest value of non-performing mortgages, this share was 2.6 percent.

The share of mortgages in arrears in Canada decreased for the third year in a row in 2022, reaching tan all-time low. As of December 2022, the rate of mortgage arrears was 0.15 percent, down from 0.42 percent in 2009, when the highest rate was observed. Among the different provinces, the arrears rate was the highest in Saskatchewan at 0.63 percent in December 2023.

Repossessions occur when a borrower fails to repay their loan on time or a tenant is late on their rent, and the lender takes possession of the property. To avoid a spike in repossessions during the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) introduced measures for renters and mortgage borrowers. As a result, the number of repossessions fell to a record low in 2020. In the second quarter of 2024, there were 854 repossessions of mortgaged homes and 6,927 repossessions of rental properties by landlords.

The are several factors that can accumulate in the repossession of a home, the most common reason for being mortgage arrears. This occurs when borrowers can no longer make the mortgage repayments. Mortgage lenders will repossess the home to sell to recover the money owed. In 2023, between 176 and 424 homes in England were repossessed monthly. In Wales, this figure ranged between 14 and 32. Which regions saw the most repossessions? The North West recorded the highest number of repossessions in 2023. Conversely, the East of England, South West, East Midlands, and Wales had the lowest number of repossessions. London and South East, the regions with the highest average earnings, ranked in the middle. Mortgage arrears on the rise Mortgage arrears in the UK have increased quarter-on-quarter since the third quarter of 2022, showing that homebuyers are increasingly struggling to meet their monthly obligations. Borrowers who missed a mortgage payment were highly likely to also fall behind on other financial commitments, with credit card debt being the most common one.