IRVINE, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 02/28/13 -- RealtyTrac® (www.realtytrac.com), the leading online marketplace for foreclosure properties, today released its Year-End and Q4 2012 U.S. Foreclosure & Short Sales Report™, which shows a total of 947,995 U.S. properties in some stage of foreclosure or bank-owned (REO) were sold during the year, a decrease of 6 percent from 2011 and down 11 percent from 2010.

These foreclosure-related sales accounted for 21 percent of all U.S. residential sales during the year, down from 23 percent of all sales in 2011 and down from 28 percent of all sales in 2010.

Properties not in foreclosure that sold as short sales in 2012 accounted for an estimated 22 percent of all residential sales -- bringing the total share of distressed sales to 43 percent including both foreclosure-related sales and non-foreclosure short sales.

Other high-level findings from the report:

• U.S. pre-foreclosure sales in 2012 increased 6 percent from the previous year while sales of bank-owned homes (REO) decreased 15 percent.
  
  
• Pre-foreclosure sales in 2012 increased from the previous year in 28 states and outnumbered REO sales in 12 states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey and New York.
  
  
• Despite the decrease nationwide, REO sales in 2012 increased from the previous year in 26 states and still outnumbered pre-foreclosure sales in 38 states, including Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota and Nevada.
  
  
• In the fourth quarter of 2012, residential properties in foreclosure or bank-owned sold for an average price of $171,704, an increase of 2 percent from the third quarter and an increase of 4 percent from the fourth quarter of 2011.
  
  
• Non-foreclosure short sales in 2012 sold short of the loan amount by an average of $81,621, down from an average of $87,809 short in 2011.
  
  
• Non-foreclosure short sales accelerated toward the end of the year, with the fourth quarter total the highest quarterly total of the year and up 17 percent from the fourth quarter of 2011.
  
  
• In the fourth quarter of 2012, a total of 219,084 U.S. properties in some stage of foreclosure or bank-owned sold nationwide, down 10 percent from the previous quarter and down 1 percent from the fourth quarter of 2011.

"Although foreclosure-related sales represent a shrinking share of total sales, primarily because of fewer bank-owned purchases, distressed sales are still a disproportionately high portion of the overall housing market," said Daren Blomquist, vice president of RealtyTrac. "And while distressed properties -- whether bank-owned, pre-foreclosure or short sales not in foreclosure -- are still selling at a significant discount compared to non-distressed properties, average distressed property prices are increasing in many markets thanks to strong demand and limited inventory."

Pre-foreclosure sales increase from 2011, nearly match record level in 2010
Third parties purchased a total of 449,873 pre-foreclosure residential properties -- in default or scheduled for auction -- in 2012, up 6 percent from 2011 and just 1 percent below the 2010 total of 454,111 pre-foreclosure sales -- the highest annual total since RealtyTrac began tracking in 2005.

Pre-foreclosure sales in 2012 increased annually in 28 states and outnumbered REO sales in 12 states, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Maryland, New Jersey and New York. Pre-foreclosure sales hit record annual highs in nine states, including California, Georgia, Illinois, Ohio and Texas.

In the fourth quarter of 2012, pre-foreclosure properties sold for an average price of $190,031, up 2 percent from the previous quarter and up 2 percent from the fourth quarter of 2011. The average price of a pre-foreclosure residential property in the fourth quarter was 23 percent below the average price of a non-foreclosure residential property, down from a 26 percent discount in the third quarter but up from a 17 percent discount in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Pre-foreclosure homes that sold in the fourth quarter took an average of 336 days to sell after starting the foreclosure process, down from an average of 359 days in the previous quarter but still up from an average of 308 days in the fourth quarter of 2011.

REO sales decrease nationwide but increase in 26 states
Third parties purchased a total of 498,122 bank-owned (REO) residential properties in 2012, down 15 percent from 2011 and down 19 percent from 2010. REO sales accounted for 11 percent of all residential sales during the year, down from 13 percent in 2011 and 16 percent in 2010.

Despite the decrease nationwide, REO sales in 2012 increased from 2011 in 26 states, including Illinois (19 percent increase), Pennsylvania (12 percent increase), Massachusetts (12 percent increase), Texas (11 percent increase), and Wisconsin (10 percent increase).

In the fourth quarter of 2012, REO properties sold for an average price of $151,998, up 1 percent from the previous quarter and up 3 percent from the fourth quarter of 2011. The average price of an REO residential property in the fourth quarter was 39 percent below the average price of a non-foreclosure residential property, down from a 40 percent discount in the third quarter but up from a 34 percent discount in the fourth quarter of 2011.

REOs that sold in the fourth quarter took an average of 178 days to sell after being foreclosed, down from 186 days in the third quarter but up slightly from 175 days in the fourth quarter of 2011.

Non-foreclosure short sales accelerate in second half of 2012
Short sales (where the sales price was below the estimated amount of all outstanding loans for a given property) of properties not in foreclosure accounted for an estimated 22 percent of all U.S. residential sales in 2012 and increased 4 percent from 2011.

Some of the states with the biggest increases in non-foreclosure short sales were Nevada (86 percent increase), Wisconsin (45 percent increase), Washington (28 percent increase), North Carolina (24 percent increase), and Illinois (18 percent increase).

Some of the states with the biggest share of non-foreclosure short sales in 2012 were Michigan (33 percent), Florida (33 percent), Nevada (33 percent), Maryland (28 percent), and Ohio (27 percent).

Non-foreclosure short sales nationwide accelerated throughout the year, increasing from the previous quarter in each quarter. Fourth quarter non-foreclosure short sales increased 2 percent from the third quarter and were up 17 percent from the fourth quarter of 2011, reaching a seven-quarter high.

Non-foreclosure short sales in 2012 were on average $81,621 "short" of the loan amount owed on the property being sold, down from an average of $87,809 short in 2011. Properties in the foreclosure process that sold as short sales in 2012 were $129,817 "short" of the loan amount.

California, Georgia, Nevada post highest percentage of foreclosure sales in 2012
Foreclosure sales accounted for more than 38 percent of all residential sales in California in 2012, the highest percentage of any state but down from 44 percent of all sales in 2011 and down from 49 percent of all sales in 2010. California pre-foreclosure sales in 2012 increased 12 percent from 2011 while California REO sales decreased 27 percent over the same time period.

Georgia foreclosure-related sales increased 12 percent in 2012 compared to 2011 and accounted for nearly 38 percent of all residential sales in the state during the year. Georgia pre-foreclosure sales in 2012 increased 16 percent from 2011 while Georgia REO sales increased 9 percent during the same time period.

Foreclosure-related sales accounted for nearly 38 percent of all residential sales in Nevada in 2012 despite a 36 percent decrease from 2011. Nevada pre-foreclosure sales in 2012 decreased 20 percent from 2011 while Nevada REO sales decreased 46 percent during the same time period. Foreclosure-related sales had accounted for 55 percent of all Nevada residential sales in 2011 and 60 percent of all Nevada residential sales in 2010.

Other states where foreclosure-related sales accounted for at least 20 percent of all residential sales in 2012 were Arizona (34 percent), Michigan (31 percent), Illinois (27 percent), Florida (25 percent), Colorado (23 percent), Wisconsin (22 percent), and New Hampshire (21 percent).

Foreclosure sales in 20 largest metro areas
Foreclosure-related sales accounted for 46 percent of all residential sales in the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metro area in Southern California in 2012, the highest percentage among the nation's 20 largest metropolitan statistical areas in terms of population.

Other metros where foreclosure-related sales accounted for at least 30 percent of all residential sales in 2012 were Atlanta (41 percent), Los Angeles (36 percent), Phoenix (34 percent), San Diego (34 percent), Detroit (32 percent), San Francisco (31 percent) and Chicago (31 percent).

Report methodology
The RealtyTrac U.S. Foreclosure Sales Report is produced by matching national address-level arms-length sales deed data against RealtyTrac's foreclosure database of pre-foreclosure (NOD, LIS), auction (NTS, NFS) and bank-owned (REO) properties. A property is considered a foreclosure sale if a sales deed is recorded for the property while it was actively in some stage of foreclosure or bank-owned. Previous quarterly numbers may be revised upon the issuance of a new quarterly foreclosure sales report because of new sales deed data received by RealtyTrac. The foreclosure discount is calculated by comparing the percentage difference between the average sales price of properties not in foreclosure to the average sales price of properties in some stage of foreclosure or bank-owned. States without sufficient foreclosure sales data to calculate average prices are not included in the report.

Glossary of Terms
Foreclosure (FC) sale: a sale of a property that occurs while the property is actively in some stage of foreclosure (NOD, LIS, NTS, NFS or REO). This includes only sales to third-party buyers or investors. It does not include property transfers from the owner in default to the foreclosing bank or lender.

REO sale: a sale of a property that occurs while the property is actively bank owned (REO).

Pre-foreclosure sale: a sale of a property that occurs while the property is actively in default (NOD, LIS) or scheduled for foreclosure auction (NTS, NFS).

Pct. of all sales: total number of Foreclosure Sales (or Pre-Foreclosure Sales or REO Sales) as a percentage of all residential sales during the quarter or year.

Avg. FC sales price: the average sales price of Foreclosure Sales (including both Pre-Foreclosure Sales and REO Sales) during the quarter or year, excluding sales with no sales price.

Avg. FC discount: the percentage difference between the average sales price of foreclosure sales and the average sales price of non-foreclosure sales during the quarter or year.

Avg. REO discount: the percentage difference between the average sales price of REO sales and the average sales price of non-foreclosure sales during the quarter or year.

Avg. pre-foreclosure discount: the percentage difference between the average sales price of pre-foreclosure sales and the average sales price of non-foreclosure sales during the quarter or year.

Click here to learn about RealtyTrac's report methodology and to view detailed data by state.

Report License
The RealtyTrac U.S. Foreclosure Sales Report is the result of a proprietary evaluation of information compiled by RealtyTrac; the report and any of the information in whole or in part can only be quoted, copied, published, re-published, distributed and/or re-distributed or used in any manner if the user specifically references RealtyTrac as the source for said report and/or any of the information set forth within the report.

Order Customized Reports
Detailed and historical foreclosure data used to create the above report may be purchased through the RealtyTrac Data Licensing Department at 949.502.8300 Ext. 158. Aggregate data is available at the state, metro, county and zip code levels dating back to 2005, and address-level foreclosure records are also available historically.

About RealtyTrac Inc.
RealtyTrac (www.realtytrac.com) is the leading supplier of U.S. real estate data, with more than 1.5 million active default, foreclosure auction and bank-owned properties, and more than 1 million active for-sale listings on its website, which also provides essential housing information for more than 100 million homes nationwide. This information includes property characteristics, tax assessor records, bankruptcy status and sales history, along with 20 categories of key housing-related facts provided by RealtyTrac's wholly-owned subsidiary, Homefacts®. RealtyTrac's foreclosure reports and other housing data are relied on by the Federal Reserve, U.S. Treasury Department, HUD, numerous state housing and banking departments, investment funds as well as millions of real estate professionals and consumers, to help evaluate housing trends and make informed decisions about real estate.