RealtyTrac seems to be the only major listing company that offered statistics for August. The foreclosure listing company reported a 1 percent decrease in filings with a 13 percent decrease in repossessions. ForeclosureS.com didn’t offer a report for the month presumably because they found an increase in fillings, as they have historically reported larger number of properties in foreclosure.

Here are some of this week’s headlines:

From the Washington Post: “Foreclosure Filings Were Flat in August.”
The Post chose to use the lower valued decrease (1 percent) of filings as opposed to actual repossessions.

From CNNMoney.com: “Foreclosures: The struggle continues.” While the article states the decrease in the 4th paragraph, the major premise was that pre-foreclosures, although also having exhibited a decrease, may continue to creep back.

Los Angeles Business Journal reports: “RealtyTrac: California ranks 3rd in August Foreclosures.” This ranking down from second which should have been stated in the headline as the more important statement.

From the Columbus Business First BizJournal: “Ohio’s August foreclosures nudge up.” This nudge refers to the 3 percent increase from July. July happened to show a 15 percent decrease. In other words a 12 percent decrease since June.

Boston.com reports: “Foreclosures still high, even as economy brightens.” The article does not even mention the 13 percent decrease.

From the Financial Times: “US foreclosure flings remain near record high.” This article also has no mention of the 13 percent decrease in repossessions, only that “foreclosure activity among US properties slipped last month for the first time since May.”

Within the first 15 articles on a Google News search only one article mentions the national decrease. This comes from the Philadelphia Inquirer, “Foreclosures dip from July number.” However, you won’t find the larger decrease of 13 percent until the 9th paragraph.

In order to boost morale the media outlets should put a little more consideration on highlighting the upside of the economic situation.

The first half of 2009 foreclosure reports continues to trickle in. Coming as no surprise to readers of Foreclosure Research, the reports have their variances in outcomes- some of these variances greater than others.

The latest report is comprised of figures from ForeclosureS.com who is no stranger to the media spotlight. The report was published in the Orlando Business Journal on July 9, 2009 titled, “Fla. Ranks No. 2 in foreclosures.”

According to the article, ForeclosureS.com reported 256,133 filings between January 2009 and June 2009. As for bank repossessions, ForeclosureS.com reported 53,548.

Meanwhile, according to the recent Foreclosure Research post, http://foreclosureresearch.com/2009/07/florida-foreclosures-the-real-breakdown/ “Florida Foreclosures: The Real Breakdown,” RealtyTrac reported a much different figure. According to their first-half of 2009 report, there were 268,064 filings and only 35,414 bank repossessions, or actual foreclosures. The difference? A whopping 18,134 homes, or a 51% deviation. A breakdown of the figures can be seen below.

Florida: January- June

Repossessions
RealtyTrac: 35,414
Foreclosures.com: 53,548

Difference: 18,134
51% deviation

Foreclosure Filings
RealtyTrac: 268,064
ForeclosureS.com: 256,133

You be the judge of what is going on here. Are they pulling these numbers out of their hats for the press in order to drive people to their websites? It looks like that way to us at Foreclosure Research.