According to ATTOM, 493,066 U.S. properties had foreclosure filings in 2019, down 21% from the prior year and down 83% from a high of 2.9 million in 2010.

“That said, there is some reason for concern about the potential for a change in the wrong direction, given that residential foreclosure starts increased in about a third of the nation’s metro housing markets in 2019," said Todd Teta, chief product officer for ATTOM Data Solutions. "While that’s not a major worry, it's something that should be watched closely in 2020.”