Foreclosures Up 42%? The 2019 Comparison Behind the Alarming Headline
By William A Ledesma | October 5, 2026
A headline about banks seizing more homes can make readers wonder whether another housing crisis is beginning.
The New York Post’s October 5 article reports that bank repossessions increased 42% compared with a year earlier. That figure matches ATTOM’s published data. But a comparison with 2019 changes how readers should interpret it.
Completed bank repossessions in August 2026 were approximately half their August 2019 level.
Both statements can be true. Activity can rise sharply from a recent low while remaining below an earlier benchmark.
What the numbers actually show
Using the same month avoids comparing seasonal differences:
National foreclosure measure | August 2019 | August 2026 | Change from 2019 |
Properties with foreclosure filings | 53,007 | 40,277 | 24.0% lower |
New foreclosure starts | 27,886 | 25,894 | 7.1% lower |
Completed bank repossessions | 11,493 | 5,794 | 49.6% lower |
These calculations use ATTOM’s published reports. Filings include default notices, scheduled auctions and repossessions; they do not all represent homeowners who have already lost their properties.
The 42% increase applies specifically to completed repossessions compared with August 2025. Overall filings increased 13%, while new starts increased 7%. Those distinctions matter when judging the scale of the change.
Florida’s ranking needs context, too
Florida led the country in new foreclosure starts in August 2026. South Carolina had the highest filing rate relative to housing units, and Texas had the most completed repossessions. There is no single “hardest hit” state across every measure.
Florida’s filing rate was one in every 1,633 housing units in August 2019, compared with one in every 2,397 in August 2026. That represents approximately a 32% lower rate, despite Florida moving from fifth to third in the national ranking.
How an accurate headline can create fear
Words such as “seize” and “hit hardest,” paired with a large percentage increase, put the most alarming interpretation first.
The number may be accurate, but the framing can leave readers with an exaggerated impression if they never see the longer comparison. We cannot establish the publisher’s intent from a headline alone. We can identify which facts receive emphasis and which context readers need.
A fuller headline would read:
“Bank repossessions rise 42% from last year, but remain about half their August 2019 level.”
Rising distress deserves attention, not exaggeration
The concern is real: foreclosure measures are rising annually. However, ATTOM also reports that overall activity remains below pre-pandemic norms.
My interpretation is that this deserves monitoring, while these figures alone do not establish an approaching housing crash.
Before letting a headline influence a housing decision, ask: Compared with when? How many properties? Which stage of foreclosure? And what is happening in the local market?
An informed decision starts with the full comparison.
Methodology: This compares published August reports, not full-year totals or a historical dataset reprocessed with identical coverage.
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