Local foreclosure activity is showing renewed movement, adding another signal that the Tri-Cities housing market is continuing its slow normalization.
There were 36 new foreclosure filings across the Tri-Cities in November, pushing the year-to-date total to 366 filings. That compares with 307 filings during the first 11 months of last year. It is a noticeable increase in activity, but still well below historic norms for the region.
Nationally, foreclosure trends remain mixed. According to ATTOM’s November Foreclosure Report, U.S. filings were down 3% from October but up 21% compared with a year ago, reflecting uneven pressure across housing markets as higher costs work their way through household budgets.
Locally, the pace of change has been sharper. Tri-Cities foreclosure filings rose 29% from the prior month and were up 300% from November of last year. Last year’s total is skewed by exceptionally low activity in late 2024.
“November marks the ninth straight month of year-over-year increases in foreclosure activity, underscoring a trend that has steadily taken shape throughout 2025,” said Rob Barber, CEO at ATTOM. “The data suggests the market is still normalizing as some homeowners contend with higher housing costs and shifting economic pressures.”
That normalization has not followed a straight line. Local filings peaked in August at 57, and have been on a roller coaster track since then. Even with recent increases, foreclosure activity remains well below the Tri-Cities’ long-term historical average, largely because many homeowners are still protected by strong equity positions built over the past five years.
At the same time, there are early signs of new economic stress beginning to surface. ATTOM’s most recent quarterly housing risk assessment continues to place Washington County, TN, and Sullivan County – the region’s two largest housing markets – among the least vulnerable to a housing downturn nationally. However, both counties have seen slight upticks in their risk ratings, suggesting pressure is gradually building rather than disappearing.
For now, foreclosures remain a manageable and contained segment of the local housing market. But the upward drift in filings serves as a reminder that higher housing costs, tighter budgets, and shifting economic conditions are starting to show up in the data. It’s a monthly report worth watching closely as the market moves into 2026.