Mortgage delinquencies fell by 8.2 percent in October are now down by nearly 18 percent from the same time last year. Serious delinquencies, loans 90 or more days past due, fell by 14,000 from last month, and 90,000 year over year, a 12-year low.

Improvements in hurricane-related delinquencies associated with Harvey and Irma, which spiked in late 2017, are contributing to the strong year-over-year improvements. Despite foreclosure starts seeing a monthly increase from September's nearly 18-year low, the number of loans in active foreclosure fell slightly from September and has decreased by 24 percent from last year

Last, prepayment activity, driven primarily by housing turnover, climbed 14 percent, but remains 29 percent below last year's level.

National housing statistics at a glance are as follows:

• Total U.S. loan delinquency rate (loans 30 or more days past due, but not in foreclosure): 3.64%
  Month-over-month change: -8.19%
  Year-over-year change: -17.93%
• Total U.S. foreclosure pre-sale inventory rate: 0.52%
  Month-over-month change: -0.54%
  Year-over-year change: -24.24%
• Total U.S. foreclosure starts: 50,600
  Month-over-month change: 26.50%
  Year-over-year change: 0.80%
• Monthly prepayment rate: 0.80%
  Month-over-month change: 13.59%
  Year-over-year change: -28.67%
• Foreclosure sales as % of 90+: 1.95%
  Month-over-month change: 27.74%
  Year-over-year change: 15.32%
• Number of properties that are 30 or more days past due, but not in foreclosure: 1,884,000
  Month-over-month change: -165,000
  Year-over-year change: -378,000
• Number of properties that are 90 or more days past due, but not in foreclosure: 499,000
  Month-over-month change: -14,000
  Year-over-year change: -90,000
• Number of properties in foreclosure pre-sale inventory: 267,000
  Month-over-month change: -1,000
  Year-over-year change: -81,000
• Number of properties that are 30 or more days past due or in foreclosure: 2,152,000
  Month-over-month change: -165,000
  Year-over-year change: -458,000

Housing Statistics, by state, are as follows: