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Nazareth, Pa., United States

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Foreclosure Rates on Rise in Northampton County

What do Pennsylvania's Northampton County and California's Marin County have in common? They've both seen a sharp increase in foreclosures. In Northampton County, an average of 46 properties was listed monthly for sheriff sale in 2005. That figure remained steady last year. But this year, where sheriff sales are already scheduled through April, 57 properties per month are listed. That's a twenty-three per cent increase over the last two years.

Reason? Damned if I know. Obviously, people aren't making enough money to pay for increasingly expensive homes. I don't have access to monthly sheriff sales in Lehigh County. But folks are struggling there, too. RealtyTrac lists 675 properties in various forms of foreclosure in Lehigh County, compared to a mere 359 in Northampton County.

15 comments:

LVDem said...

Sherif sale info is really hard to track in Lehigh County. They advertise in the public notices section of the paper, but it's really hard to make any sense of the online listings.

Bernie O'Hare said...

LVDem, In NC, the Sheriff's office keeps a book listing the propoerties, month by month, from 2005. I'm surprised it doesn't go back further than that. In LC, there might be a similar book. They take good care of the records there and I might ask a LC searcher to help on that.

Greendogdem said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Greendogdem said...

Well according to a story I saw in the morning call this weekend. There was a realator trying to convince people not that the houses are over price but the offers are too lower. I.E. House that are listed for 500k and are getting offers in the mid to upper 300k range. More or less what is happening is the builders are trying to take New Auto premiums on houses. That once they are Moved into lose half their value. Houses use to have 50 to 100k premiums on them now they have 200 to 300k premiums on them for construction. So more or less you now have houses people are buying that if they have to get out of them equity doesn't really exist to do so.

Julian Stolz said...

If this makes me a chickenhawk then I'm proud to be one!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uyqk1LsCDBQ&eurl=

NO END BUT VICTORY!

Gort said...

What the hell is victory? Never ending war or a new one with Iran?

LVDem said...

Julian, you just ventured into Billy Given's territory by straying off topic. Not sure you want to go there.

House of Crayons said...

My God, people FOCUS. Does anyone here really care to accomplish anything? Or are we just happy to opine?

Anonymous said...

What the hell does Iraq have to do with sheriff sales

Bernie O'Hare said...

Anon 12:13. Good question. It's funny, because the original post on this subject came from Julian Stolz, a Republican. Most Republicans run from any discussion of Iraq. And just a few days ago, Julian was begging commenters to talk about the things that bring us together instead of dividing us. Julian's a good guy and a very smart young man. I'm sure it's only a matter of a few days before he converts to Democratolism. LVDem is baptizing, and Chris Casey will be the godfather.

Greendogdem said...

It seems the realator association and Builders association is trying to distract from the fact they are charging New Car premiums on new houses. That's why Stolz came in with this distraction

Julian Stolz said...

Bernie,

The local repubs wish I'd switch...I hold them accountable.

LV and others,

Sorry once and done I promise. The video was posted over on redstate and I thought it was too important not to pass on.

Anonymous said...

Bernie, is this Stolz kid your Republican bastard child or what? You seem pretty zealous in defending him at his every cyber gaffe. Hmmmm....

Bernie O'Hare said...

Shhh! I don't want to pay for his college.

Daedal Jo'At Xavier said...

As an investor and formerly licensed Realtor, I have this to say: I think home prices were and are way out of control. What you get for $300,000 boggles my mind, it's nt worth it to me. Realtor are partly to blame and they make huge profit off the commission but on the other end of the spectrum, if price were to plummet many will lose their jobs and others will struggle to cover there expenses. But now as things are I can't as an investor find any reasonable purchases that every other investor is pawing at, investors are struggling. We lose either way.