Loans in foreclosure have been delinquent an average of 624 days — a record high, according to Lender Processing Services’ September report.

The time loans spend in foreclosure continues to increase. For example, 40 percent of home owners with loans in foreclosure have failed to make a payment within two years, and 72 percent of home owners have failed to make a payment in a year or more.

The time from the last payment to foreclosure sale has been found to be even longer in judicial states, in which foreclosures must be approved by the courts. The time span in judicial states is averaging 761 days, six months longer than non-judicial states, LPS reports.

While loans are spending longer in foreclosure, the number of foreclosure starts is decreasing. Foreclosure starts decreased 11.2 percent in September compared to August, and foreclosure starts are 15 percent below a year earlier, LPS notes in its recent report.

The states with the highest percentage of loans in delinquency or foreclosure are:

• Florida
• Mississippi
• Nevada
• New Jersey
• Illinois

The states with the lowest: North Dakota, South Dakota, Wyoming, Alaska, and Montana.

Source: “LPS: Foreclosures Delinquent an Average of 624 Days,” HousingWire (Nov. 1, 2011) and Lender Processing Services

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