Government Foreclosures Guide

Foreclosure occurs when a homeowner fails to make mortgage payments on his homes. A homeowner is allowed to be late on a few payments, as long as they are paid soon. They have to pay the payments along with the late charges. Foreclosure homes happens when numerous mortgage payments have been missed and the homeowner is unable to rectify the situation with payments. The foreclosure process does not happen overnight. It can take up to three months, but do not be fooled by this lengthy time period. It is important to take action immediately on foreclosure homes. An average of 4% of all homes purchased will be foreclosed upon. Therefore, foreclosure is an issue to many people. Purchasing foreclosure homes may be beneficial to both the buyer and the homeowner if the purchase occurs at the right time.

Government foreclosures occur because owners fail to make mortgage payments on FHA insured loans or VA loans or because they fail to pay taxes or other amounts due to the IRS, USDA, or other government agencies.

You can buy a Government home for you to live in, or simply to rehab and sell for a fast profit. These foreclosures are offered to the general public through real estate agents that specialize in the sales of government homes.

HUD and the Veterans Administration (VA) foreclosure listings dominate the Government foreclosure market. Lending institutions are protected by the insurance provided by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac on low interest loans offered to those who buy government foreclosures. When homeowners are not able to make their payments the banks refer back to the insurance attached to this mortgage loans. These homes then become government homes. Sometimes properties become government owned when they are seized from criminals.

There are large choices of available government owned listings including single-family homes, condominiums, and town houses, throughout different types of neighborhood all over the country. Prices for these homes may vary from one state to another. Some of these government foreclosure homes are older, but many of these available properties are comparatively new.

About the Author:Ernani Uchoa is the author of Foreclosure Deals - Online Leader of foreclosure listings. Search more foreclosure articles for free at http://www.foreclosuredeals.com

Commercial Foreclosures - A Great Investment!

Most real estate investors are familiar with the in's and out's of buying foreclosed homes for investment purposes. But few people pay much attention to the commercial foreclosures market. This is a shame because commercial foreclosures represent a great way for someone like you to jump into real estate investing game and make some nice cash.Even though the population of investors who have commercial foreclosures on their radar screens is fairly small, this industry has still seen a sharp rise in recent years. This is partly due to the number of commercial foreclosures that are coming on the market, as well as the amount of profits that can be earned from these investments.Working with commercial foreclosures is quite similar to the foreclosures process that take place on traditional homes. Such properties are repossessed by the bank because the owner failed to pay their mortgage.So, in an effort to recoup some of its investment, the bank will sell commercial foreclosures to the public. Anyone who is interested in purchasing real estate can then buy these properties at a discounted price.Commercial foreclosure properties are those that can be used for business, such retail space. In most instances, investors will buy the commercial properties and rent them out to businesses that are in need of office space. This can be quite lucrative since because office space is at a premium right now, and there are always businesses on the look out looking for ways to cut costs.In addition to individual investors, there are alos other companies that will acquire commercial foreclosed property so that they can own their own building. For the most part, companies want to do this so that after the mortgage is paid off, they no longer have to worry about paying rent on their office space. This has proven to be a great way for companies of all sizes to reduce expeense and improve their cash flow.Commercial foreclosures are not nearly as popular as foreclosed homes, where you'll find the largest herd of investors. But that doesn't mean you can't uncover some nice gems. Now the best place to unearth commercial foreclosures would be to search around well populated cities.Of course the logic is that since larger cities have a higher number of commercial businesses, your odds of finding commercial foreclosures is significantly increased. But this isn't to say that commercial foreclosures are not available in smaller towns; they will just be a little tougher to uncover.Overall, investing in commercial real estate foreclosures can be very profitable. These properties offer a great alternative or addition to investors who want to diversify their real estate investment portfolio.

About the Author:The Phoenix Real Estate Talk! web site provides free information about buying, selling, and investing in the greater Phoenix, Arizona real estate market. There is also a discussion forum and free e-mail mini-courses. Visit Phoenix Real Estate Talk!

How To Make Money Investing In Real Estate Foreclosures

People who have extra money to spare should invest in foreclosed real estate properties for a lot of reasons. And the only reason which seems to matter is that there is a good chance of getting huge profits later on. However, much consideration should be placed on what type of property they are going to invest in.

A person who wants to make money by investing in foreclosed real estate properties should have a keen eye for good properties. These are properties that will probably worth a lot more than its present value a few years later. An investor should also look at the possibility of making use of the property even before it is sold in the market.

The location of a foreclosed real property should always be a primary consideration it can make or break his future as a foreclosed real property investor. A foreclosed real estate property that has a good location will spell a lot of opportunities for the investor.

Most real properties that are foreclosed have to be turned inside out. Some needs minor redressing while other properties have to be repaired before it can command a higher value. This means that aside from investing in the purchase price of the foreclosed real estate property, the investor still has to spend for minor or even major repairs that are necessary to make the property attractive to buyers.

Investors who see the value of foreclosed properties rising in the near future can hold on to the sale but this does not mean they cannot make money out of the property. Some investors proceed with repairs necessary to keep the property presentable for buyers and renters alike. Investors can double their earnings by leasing the property first and selling the property to the right bidder.

Successful investors in foreclosed real estate properties have this special gift of being able to take a hunch as to which properties and locations will become big in the future. Perhaps, it can be attributed to luck or experience on their part.

Investors should have contacts among contractors or bank personnel for real estate properties that are candidates for foreclosure proceedings. If they are confident and patient enough, they can find away to reach the owners of properties that are about to be foreclosed and offer them a good deal so the owners can still get a portion of what they invested.

Investing in foreclosed real estate properties can be a good business but how much a person earns from such business really depends on the ability, the patience and the budget of the investor.

Click Here for Foreclosure Listings

About the Author:The author is a regular contributor to Foreclosure Advisor where additional real estate information is available.

What You Must Know To Make Money With Foreclosures

In the real estate investment industry a few percent can mean tens of thousands of dollars or more. It’s no surprise then that foreclosures are among the most desired methods that real estate investors use to obtain prize real estate at significant discounts to market. From the homeowners perspective, it’s really very sad but from the lenders perspective they would argue that they are simply following the protocol that must be obeyed when a homeowner fails to meet their borrowing obligations.

If you thought that using foreclosures as a means of real estate investment was beyond your ability then you may wish to rethink – particularly as it’s possible to obtain real estate for discounts of as much as 20% or more (to market). With the foreclosure rate due to rise in the near future, this is a strategy every serious property investor must be prepared to implement for increased profits.

This article looks at the foreclosure process, how to purchase real estate with foreclosures and some issues to consider before getting your toes wet.

The Foreclosure Process – How And Why Properties Are Available Through Foreclosure & How To Bid For Them

When a home-owner fails to pay their mortgage (after a number of warnings) their home is sometimes foreclosed by a bank. There are two major timeframes during which you can get involved – either you can choose to offer the existing owner (before the foreclosure is finalised) or you can wait until after the foreclosure and purchase the real estate directly from the bank. The bank may choose to put the property up for sale via an auction or sell it directly on the market.

There are many reasons why home-owners want to avoid having their property foreclosed at all costs – they do not want the foreclosure taboo to show against their credit history. This means that you can step in and purchase the property from the seller before the foreclosure becomes final – if your negotiation skills are good it can mean you picking up real estate at significantly below the market price.

If the real estate is offered for sale at auction then it may be an opportunity to pick up a bargain. However, you’re likely to face competition on any real estate that is considered to be prime. Take into account the following before attending the auction with the intention of securing the property:

(1) Create a plan – what is the maximum amount you’re willing to pay for the property. Decide this before hand and stick with it during the auction. Your plan should also include a blueprint of action should you obtain the real estate. Will you flip it on the market or rent out? Convert into something different? These things must be planned far in advance of you buying the real estate or you could end up with something that doesn’t fit in to your plans.

(2) Investigate the property thoroughly – do you need to spend anything on it by ways of repairs/modernisation? How much will this cost?

(3) Are you funding the purchase with loans? How will you repay the loans? If the real estate does not bring an income do you have sufficient cashflow to service any loans?

(4) Are you confident that the real estate does not have any existing fines related to it? It’s possible to purchase a property at auction only to discover it comes with existing fines which you must now pay ( the real estate instantly becomes a liability - not quite the cash cow you had hoped for).

So why would the government or banks sell these repossessed real estate units at far below their market value? For a start, lenders do not like to have more than a certain number of foreclosures on their books at any given time – they could be accused of periodically lending to those who are unsuitable candidates while the government can make better use of liquid funds rather than assets tied up in real estate.

Either way, the real estate investor wins.

Some “Real World” Issues That You Will Need To Consider Before Getting Into The Foreclosures Market

First, many individuals may well struggle to cope with the idea of being the “nasty person” who profits from someone else’s misery. In the past investors who have purchased real estate through foreclosures have had problems with evicting the existing owners. If this type of situation arises it can be difficult to sort out (and include costly & lengthy legal proceedings to get the tenants evicted). In some places, the previous owner may also have the legal right to buy back the real estate from you.

Despite some potential pitfalls (which can be avoided and planned for) foreclosures remain a good way of investing in bargain real estate.

About the Author:James Franklin

An Industry Of Real Estate Foreclosures - It's Not What You Think

Statistics show that foreclosures are becoming more frequent due to the ever changing conditions of the real estate block. Though most homeowners bought their houses when the rates are still manageable within their income they still have trouble paying off their mortgages. Blame it on the rising prices of commodities while the people's salary remain at their present amount. However, this type of reasoning does not apply to most lenders. Most people with foreclosed properties are left without houses and a tainted credit history. What to do when you feel that your home might be taken away?

Contrary to what you might think, lenders are not really keen to foreclose properties. For one, they are lenders, their forte is to lend money. They are not really equipped to sell foreclosed properties. So it is advisable to contact your lender at the first sign of mortgage payment trouble. Depending on the type of your mortgage and lender, you can work out several options with them rather than foreclosure. The earlier you call their attention to your problem, the more options could be worked out.

The lenders' usual solution against foreclosures is to grant you a suspension of payment. They grant you an option of suspending your dues within a specific time frame so you can assess your financial situation and resume payments. Or as an alternative, they might opt to redesign your payment scheme to suit your current financial fix. To do this, they might lower your monthly dues or change your payment schedule. Either way, you can still continue your obligation without straining your finances. You can also opt for single big payment to update your account and settle your past unpaid dues. This is especially applicable if your housing loan is covered by the government housing agency. This is the most common move of people with accumulated mortgage debts. However, this is only practical for people who expect a large income or for those with a delayed increase in salary. If you expect or better yet, sure of a large sum coming in from one of your sources, this might be the option for you to avoid foreclosures. Remember though, that it is important to continue your payments regularly after that one-time blow-out.

The options I mentioned above are the most practical options if you still want to retain your house and avoid foreclosures. But if it is too late, and foreclosure is the only thing your lender offers you, there are other ways to save face and your credit record. You can choose to put your house on sale and pay your lender with the profit. Since the real estate rates shot up, you can sell your property for an amount that covers your mortgage debt and more. You hit two birds with this one because you can close deal with your lender while having some money to start anew. Another option is to willingly leave the house or move out. This is more of a graceful exit rather than being forced or evicted from your property. You lost your home but it's no reason to lose your pride either.

Please Visit : Foreclosures Information for Foreclosure List, Tax Deed, Tax Lien and General Foreclosure Law

About the Author:For more valuable information on Miami Foreclosures see http://www.miamiforeclosures.com

Foreclosures swamp staff

Flood of cases and new software put city office in a hole

Hundreds of foreclosures in Denver are on hold because of a massive backlog in the Clerk and Recorder's Office, putting lenders in a "precarious position" and forcing the city to hire more help.

On Wednesday, 661 foreclosure packets, which are supposed to be recorded within 10 days, were more than two weeks past due, according to an internal report obtained by the Rocky Mountain News.

The problem is so bad that employees are working weekends to catch up and fielding urgent pleas from law firms handling foreclosures.

"I'm desperate!" starts off one e-mail to the clerk and recorder. "I have a (Department of Housing and Urban Development) title package that has to be sent out tomorrow."
Interim Clerk and Recorder Stephanie O'Malley said she inherited the problem when she was appointed to the post Jan. 9 by Mayor John Hickenlooper.

"The only thing I could do was say, 'I need to get more people in here to help move this process along,' and that is what I've done," she said.

The city's Career Service Authority is in the process of hiring the three on-call employees that she has requested, she said.

O'Malley, who is running for the seat in May, said there are two factors contributing to the backlog.

First, foreclosures in Denver have tripled since 2002.
The other factor delaying Denver foreclosures points to former Clerk and Recorder Wayne Vaden, who resigned in the wake of the disastrous Nov. 7 election.

While in office, Vaden approved the purchase of a $143,500 software program that requires employees to manually transfer data from about 2,500 older but active foreclosures into the new system.

"My staff has been held captive in having to migrate data physically from that old system to the new system and be attentive to new packets," O'Malley said. "It is a lot of work."
The program is designed to make the processing of foreclosures more efficient. That should happen once employees get caught up, O'Malley said.

Vaden, who negotiated a $150- an-hour consulting contract with the city two months after his resignation, did not return a message left on his cell phone.

In addition to inputting data from older files, employees at the Clerk and Recorder's Office said the new software also requires them to type in more information on new foreclosures.
They also said that Vaden never asked for their advice.

Rhonda Stewart, a deputy public trustee, said it used to take 10 minutes to process a foreclosure.

With the new software, it now takes about 30 minutes, she said.
"We're doing a lot of work, but we're not stressing out," Stewart said. "You can't stress out about it. You have to stay focused."

Metro-area law firms that handle foreclosures and do business with the city either declined to comment or did not return calls.

But in e-mails obtained by the Rocky, it is clear the backlog has put them under pressure.
"I know HUD could refuse title if we don't get it to them," states another e-mail.
HUD requires that all documentation, including the original or certified copy of a deed, be submitted within 45 days of the request for deed recording.

O'Malley said the backlog "doesn't bode well for the community."
"When you just have these properties sitting there dormant, from a community standpoint, that's not a good thing," she said.

The delay also hurts business.

"If you have a piece of property out there that's (on hold), the lender is put in precarious position because now they're sitting on a piece of property of which they're not getting any revenues," O'Malley said.

"There's no payment on the mortgage," she said.
"And so their goal, of course, is to move the property so that they can get a return on their investment."

Source :
chacond@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5099
By Daniel J. Chacon, Rocky Mountain News February 22, 2007

Default notices in state double in 4th quarter

The number of California homeowners who fell behind on mortgage payments more than doubled during the last three months of 2006, pushing defaults higher than at any other time in the past eight years, according to a report issued Wednesday.

Despite the jump, the number of default notices is well below historic highs. Housing experts blame the increase in part on rising interest rates and adjustable-rate mortgages. It's unclear whether the increase portends a further weakening of the market.

Statewide, lenders sent 37,273 notices of default in the fourth quarter, up 145 percent from the same period a year earlier, according to DataQuick Information Systems. The trend was more pronounced in Southern California and the Central Valley.

The Bay Area has weathered the downturn better than other parts of the state, protected in part by a short supply, economists said. Default notices rose 134 percent in the area, below the 141 percent jump in Southern California and the 168 percent increase in the Central Valley.
The Bay Area had less new construction and a tighter housing supply, making the market less volatile, experts said.

"In some places, the builders got a little bit ahead of themselves and the speculators got a little bit ahead of themselves and now they're feeling the foreclosure pain," said Scott Anderson, senior economist for Wells Fargo. "The Bay Area's home values in terms of supply and demand are much better balanced and that's keeping the foreclosure rates more manageable."
The fourth quarter saw the most default notices in any three-month period since the third quarter of 1998. A notice of default is the first step in the foreclosure process. Many who receive such notices avoid having their homes repossessed. About one-third of homeowners who received a notice of default in the fourth quarter of 2005 had lost their homes a year later, above historical averages, DataQuick said.

California is experiencing a rise in defaults because so many people took out adjustable-rate mortgages, economists say. About 28 percent of loans in California are adjustable, more than in any other state, according to First American LoanPerformance, which tracks mortgage risk. Borrowers with such loans have seen their monthly payments increase at the same time that home price appreciation has slowed, making it more difficult to sell or refinance.

"The state of California has been tremendously dependent on adjustable-rate mortgage products," said Anderson.

Homeowners in Marin, San Francisco and Santa Clara counties were the least likely to go into default, the report found. In the Bay Area, some of the biggest increases in default notices came in Contra Costa and Solano counties, where the most new construction has occurred. Economists point out that the five-year housing boom pushed the number of defaults to record lows, making increases seem particularly dramatic.

"The ... percentage looks a bit more dramatic than it should because we are comparing it to such a low base," said Keitaro Matsuda, senior economist with Union Bank of California.
Although the number of default notices sent out last quarter is above the 33,615 average for the 14-year period in which DataQuick has tracked foreclosures, it's still below historic highs. The number of default notices peaked in the first quarter of 1996 at 61,541.

"For a long period of time, California had some of best credit quality in the country," said Anderson of Wells Fargo. "We're now starting to see some of that unwind."

The report also found that the number of homes sold in foreclosure sales rose to 6,078 during the quarter from 874 in the fourth quarter of 2005. That compares with a record high of 15,418 in 1996 and a low of 637 in 2005.

Anderson and Matsuda disagreed about whether the state will continue to see a dramatic climb in foreclosure and default rates.

Matsuda said that as long as interest rates remain where they are, the number of foreclosures is unlikely to continue its rapid rise.

"I believe that the fourth-quarter pop will be the worst quarter in terms of foreclosures," Matsuda said.

But Anderson said that, even with the improvement in the housing market, it will take some time before the number of default notices returns to low levels.

"We expect it to play out over a number of years," Anderson said. "It's not something that's going to go away next quarter, even if the housing market starts to stabilize."


Source : Marni Leff Kottle, Chronicle Staff Writer
E-mail Marni Leff Kottle at mkottle@sfchronicle.com.
This article appeared on page C - 1 of the San Francisco Chronicle

S&P to speed mortgage warnings

S&P to speed mortgage warnings

The ratings company, responding to rising delinquencies, will alert bond investors before foreclosures occur.

From Bloomberg News

In another sign of growing concern about mortgages made to high-risk borrowers, Standard & Poor's said it would no longer wait for homes to be foreclosed on and sold at a loss before alerting investors in mortgage-backed bonds that it expects to lower ratings on the bonds.
The ratings company now will consider issuing downgrade warnings based on the amount of loans that are delinquent, in foreclosure proceedings or already backed by seized property, Robert Pollsen, an analyst at the New York-based firm, said during a conference call with investors Thursday.
S&P will assume that none of the borrowers more than 90 days late will resume paying their mortgages, he said.
The firm is reacting to rising delinquencies and defaults on the riskiest types of home loans made in 2006. Many of those loans were packaged and sold to investors via mortgage-backed securities that pass interest through to the investors.
S&P said Wednesday that it was considering downgrades on 18 low-rated bonds from 11 securitizations of mortgages last year amid early loan problems.
"It is a watershed event" because it means S&P is now actively considering downgrading bonds within their first year, said Daniel Nigro, a portfolio manager at Dynamic Credit Partners, a manager of about $6 billion in hedge funds and collateralized debt obligations. "We welcome them being more open" about their methods.
The riskiest mortgages made last year are experiencing more delinquencies than ones from previous years at comparable ages, after a period in which some lenders lowered standards to attract business and home-price growth slowed from record levels in many regions.
S&P's warnings Wednesday were on bonds backed by so-called sub-prime and Alt-A loans, and by home-equity loans.
Sub-prime loans are those made to people with imperfect or poor credit histories.
Alt-A loans are defined as ones that fall only slightly short of the credit standards of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two largest U.S. mortgage firms.
Borrowers are 60 days or more behind on payments on 11-month-old 2006 sub-prime mortgages that represent 8.2% of the loans' total original balances, Steven Abrahams, an analyst at brokerage Bear Stearns Cos., wrote in a report this week.
The levels were "well ahead of the second-place class of 2000," whose problems totaled 5.2% at the same point, Abrahams wrote. "Given the underwriting legacy already in the pipeline and the tendency for serious delinquencies to develop slowly, news about sub-prime is likely to continue for months."
Probably the biggest issue is that many of the sub-prime loans were given out with small or no down payments through the use of "piggyback" home-equity loans, said Ernestine Warner, an S&P analyst.
In mid-2006, S&P began requiring more protection for bond investors when mortgages with piggyback down payments were included in securities, after finding they were 50% more likely to default. Santa Monica-based Fremont General Corp. this week eliminated so-called combo loan programs.
One of the bonds S&P warned about this week was backed by Alt-A mortgages. It was the company's first warning about any of those securities sold in 2006.
Alt-A loans often are made with less proof of borrowers' pay, or are interest-only loans or "option" adjustable-rate mortgages, whose payments can fail to cover the interest owed.
"In terms of performance, I'd say there are equal concerns" about Alt-A loans and sub-prime loans at S&P based on early delinquencies, Warner said.
The Alt-A bond S&P warned about was issued by Calabasas-based Countrywide Financial Corp., the largest U.S. mortgage lender. Newport Beach-based Impac Mortgage Holdings Inc. made the loans.
Before Wednesday, S&P had already told investors it might downgrade several low-rated sub-prime and home-equity mortgage bonds created last year.
Competitors Moody's Investors Service, Fitch Ratings and Dominion Bond Rating Service also have notified investors they're considering downgrades on similar bonds.
The firms' announcements were a departure from past practices of waiting for at least one year from issuance to review their initial assessments about the quality of a mortgage bond.

Ohio Gives a Million to Prevent Foreclosures

Kerri Panchuk 02.16.07

The Ohio Department of Development has generated $1 million in rescue funds to help distressed homeowners in their state. The donation will benefit the much larger Ohio Foreclosure Prevention Initiative — a statewide program that educates at-risk borrowers by referring them to a toll-free foreclosure prevention hotline. The statewide campaign involves NeighborWorks America, the Columbus Housing Partnership, and numerous other state and nonprofit agencies.Organizations in the network say foreclosure prevention is crucial since foreclosures are leaving black stains on entire neighborhoods and costing the community upwards of $50,000 in foreclosure expenses. With that in mind, the state agencies believe it's more cost-effective to focus on loss mitigation.“Our partnership with NeighborhoodWorks America is helping Ohio's foreclosure crises through education and outreach, quality counseling and referrals to local nonprofit agencies,” said Amy Klaben, president and chief executive officer of the Columbus Housing Partnership.

Source DSNews.com

I like to see the bigger State such as California, Texas, New York and Florida have programs to help prevent homeowners go into foreclosures .. Great Job Ohio!!

More Californians at risk of losing homes

The number of Californians defaulting on their mortgage loans is rising rapidly, according to figures released recently, providing striking evidence that more people are at risk of losing their homes.

Default notices jumped 145% in the last three months of 2006, accelerating a trend that began in late 2005 as home sales started to cool.

Florida Foreclosure Rates Rising

The state of Florida had the eighth highest rate, with an increase of more than 6% and 8,898 properties entering some state of foreclosure -- more than every state except Texas. Foreclosure filings had increased 42.55% in the first quarter of 2006 over the fourth quarter of 2005.

source : topix.net

California Foreclosures up again

Lending institutions sent homeowners 37,273 default notices during the October-to-December period. That was up by 36.9 percent from 27,218 the previous quarter, and up 145.3 percent from 15,196 for fourth-quarter 2005, according to DataQuick Information Systems.

County/Region 2005Q4 2006Q4 %Chg
Los Angeles 3,480 7,445 113.9%
Orange 918 1,983 116.0%
San Diego 1,173 3,150 168.5%
Riverside 1,607 4,528 181.8%
San Bernardino 1,473 3,538 140.2%
Ventura 261 794 204.2%
Imperial 66 167 153.0%
Socal 8,978 21,605 140.6%
San Francisco 106 173 63.2%
Alameda 456 1,173 157.2%
Contra Costa 541 1,511 179.3%
Santa Clara 489 874 78.7%
San Mateo 176 339 92.6%
Marin 51 101 98.0%
Solano 297 781 163.0%
Sonoma 143 323 125.9%
Napa 33 87 163.6%
Bay Area 2,292 5,362 133.9%
Santa Cruz 62 134 116.1%
Santa Barbara 83 298 259.0%
San Luis Obispo 66 119 80.3%
Monterey 94 291 209.6%
Coast 305 842 176.1%
Sacramento 849 1,927 127.0%
San Joaquin 464 1,293 178.7%
Placer 149 540 262.4%
Kern 424 1,044 146.2%
Fresno 518 1,059 104.4%
Madera 55 130 136.4%
Merced 118 466 294.9%
Tulare 179 427 138.5%
Yolo 64 188 193.8%
El Dorado 59 199 237.3%
Stanislaus 159 909 471.7%
Central Valley* 3,179 8,531 168.4%
Mountains* 110 208 89.1%
North Calif* 332 725 118.4%
Statewide 15,196 37,273 145.3%
* includes additional counties

Source: DataQuick Information Systems and Dqnews.com