Foreclosures up again

By Anita Miller
News Editor

San Marcos March 18, 2008 12:07 pm

— It’s not as bad as February’s spike, but the number of Hays County properties scheduled for foreclosure in April is still up.
According to preliminary figures released by Foreclosure Listing Service, Inc., a total of 80 Hays properties are expected to be foreclosed on, compared to 74 in April of last year, representing an increase of eight percent.
That’s 11 percent higher than March foreclosures but still below April totals going back to 2004, says the Addison-based firm that tracks foreclosures in Hays, Travis, Williamson, Bastrop, Bell, McLennan, Bexar, Comal and Guadalupe counties.
So far this year, the FLS says 317 Hays properties have been posted, representing an increase of 10 percent over the 289 properties listed by this time last year.
Of the nine counties tracked, all but three saw April foreclosures higher than March; and in year-to-date totals, eight of the nine counties saw increases and the percentage was 10 or more in six — Bell (33 percent), Williamson (19 percent), Bexar (15 percent), Travis (13 percent), Comal (12 percent) and Guadalupe (10 percent.)
In February of this year, Hays saw a 57 percent spike in foreclosures over a year prior; but still fared better than some other counties including Williamson (98 percent increase), Comal (75 percent) and Guadalupe (72 percent).
Properties listed by the FLS include single family homes, condominiums, townhomes, apartment complexes, office buildings, retail centers, industrial buildings and land.
Of 80 Hays properties foreclosed on in March, eight were in Green Pastures and six in Goforth Estates.