By DON FENLEY

Foreclosure filings across the Tri-Cities fell to 15 in May. That is the lowest monthly count of the year and nearly even with the 14 filings recorded a year ago.

The local slowdown stands apart from the national picture. ATTOM’s May report counted 40,355 properties nationwide with a foreclosure filing. That total was down 5% from April but up 14% from May 2025.

Nationally, foreclosure activity has been grinding higher year after year. Foreclosure starts rose 13% from a year ago to 27,304. Completed foreclosures, the bank repossessions known as REOs, increased 6% to 4,092. Even with those gains, filings remain well below where they stood before the pandemic.

The Tri-Cities followed a different path this spring. Filings dropped from 27 in April to 15 in May, a decline of about 44%. Last May brought 14 filings, so this year’s count is higher by just one.

The year-to-date numbers tell a fuller story. Through May, the region logged 151 filings in 2026 compared with 113 over the same five months in 2025. That is an increase of about 34%. Most of that gap opened early in the year. January through March ran well above 2025. By April and May, the monthly counts settled back to year-ago levels.

ATTOM CEO Rob Barber tied the national climb to ongoing cost pressures. He pointed to elevated mortgage rates, rising ownership costs, and affordability strains as weights on some homeowners. He also stressed that volumes remain far below historical norms, a sign the housing market is holding up.

The local sales numbers back up the steadier foreclosure trend. NETAR reported 790 home sales in May, up 0.1% from a year ago. Sales are up 8.8% year to date. The median price reached $299,750, up 4.8% from a year ago and up 3.6% year to date.

Those are the marks of a market in balance. Demand is holding, prices are firming, and distressed homes are not piling up. When foreclosures stay low and sales hold steady, fewer forced sales reach the market. That supports prices and keeps inventory healthy.

Categories: REAL ESTATE