Bank Repossessions Jump 45 Percent as Foreclosure Timelines Shrink

Lenders repossessed 14,020 U.S. properties through foreclosure in the first quarter of 2026, a 45 percent increase from a year ago. This rise in bank-owned properties follows a broader increase in foreclosure activity, with 82,631 properties starting the foreclosure process in the first quarter, up 20 percent annually. Total U.S. properties with a foreclosure filing reached 118,727 for the quarter, a 26 percent increase over the same period in 2025. The speed of these seizures has accelerated. Properties foreclosed in the first quarter had been in the process for an average of 577 days, a 14 percent decline from last year.