It looks like Foreclosure research isn’t the only website/researcher uncovering the discrepancies between foreclosure listings providers and the news publications that report their data.

According to a blog on The Washington Post, author Elizabeth Razzi voices her frustrations with foreclosure reporting. In an article posted on March 16, 2009, titled “How Many Foreclosed or Homeless?” Razzi writes, “One of the biggest frustrations in trying to report about this housing crisis and recession is the lack of reliable numbers on two of its most dire outcomes: foreclosures and homelessness.”

Razzi continues by stating, “Like most major media outlets, The Post reports foreclosure numbers from RealtyTrac each month, mostly because there’s no other source that’s better. But I don’t know anyone who uses those numbers, including reputable economists, who isn’t frustrated by the fact that the same home often gets counted more than once in their statistics.”

Foreclosure Research has pointed out this fact on numerous occasions. Notices of Trustee Sales are counted within RealtyTrac’s pre-foreclosure filings and statistics while it is a secondary notice following a notice of default or lis pendens. Meaning two foreclosure notices for a single property.

Razzi brings up another valid point about RealtyTrac’s ultimate motive. Razzi writes that “it’s important to remember that RealtyTrac is actually in the business of selling leads on foreclosed properties to investors. It’s a bit like having IHOP report numbers about pancakes. Come and get ‘em!”

In other words, aside from posting duplicate figures, one can make the assumption that ultimately RealtyTrac’s motives behind reporting foreclosure statistics are to say the least, self-serving in nature.