Zombie Home Foreclosure Numbers Increase In 38 US States

Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

The number of residential zombie foreclosures in the second quarter of 2026 marginally increased from the previous quarter, with such foreclosures rising in the District of Columbia and 38 out of the 50 U.S. states, real estate analytics company ATTOM said in a May 21 statement.

"Out of the country's 104.9 million residential properties, 245,376 were in the foreclosure process in the second quarter. Of those, 8,312 properties, or 3.4 percent, were 'zombies,' meaning the owners had abandoned the properties before the end of their foreclosure proceedings," ATTOM said. "The second quarter zombie rate was slightly higher than the 3.3 percent rate posted in the first quarter."

Among states with at least 100 zombie residences, Georgia recorded the largest quarter-over-quarter increase, with the number of such properties rising by 98 percent. Zombie foreclosures rose by 67.2 percent in North Carolina, 42 percent in Indiana, 35.5 percent in Iowa, and 15.4 percent in South Carolina.

In states with at least 50 zombie homes, only two saw a dip in such properties in the second quarter - Washington and New York, which declined by 13.1 percent and 2.2 percent, respectively.

A zombie foreclosure typically happens when a homeowner receives a pending foreclosure notice and decides to leave the home before the legally required exit date, leaving the home vacant.

As long as the foreclosure is not completed, the owner continues to be the title holder of the property. The owner can usually pay a lump sum to the lender and pull the property out of foreclosure.

However, if the lump sum is not paid, the property will end up with the lender. Following this stage, the homeowner has to leave the place when the lender requires them to.

ATTOM's analysis of 138 metropolitan statistical areas with at least 100,000 residential properties and at least 100 properties in the foreclosure process showed that Cedar Rapids, Iowa, had the highest share of properties in zombie status at 13.2 percent.

This was followed by Wichita, Kansas, at 12.9 percent; Youngstown, Ohio, with 11.4 percent; and Cleveland and Akron, both in Ohio, at more than 10 percent each.

ATTOM's data also showed that almost 1.4 million homes in the United States were vacant in the second quarter, which represents 1.3 percent of America's residential properties.

"The increase in zombie foreclosures across most states may reflect a foreclosure market that is slowly returning to more normalized levels," Rob Barber, CEO of ATTOM, said.

"At the same time, overall vacancy rates remain relatively steady nationwide, while zombie foreclosures still represent only a small share of homes in the foreclosure process."

According to a Jan. 18 post by Rocket Mortgage, the owner of a zombie property under foreclosure will still be responsible for bills.

For instance, the owners must pay property taxes, failing which they could face a tax lien. Homeowners' association fees must be paid; failing which, the association could file a lawsuit. Similarly, bills for trash removal, maintenance, and other services should be paid as well.

The owner's credit score could get negatively hit, potentially impacting their ability to secure loans in the future.

"The best way to steer clear of a zombie foreclosure is to stay current on mortgage payments. During the mandated waiting period after you receive a foreclosure notice, you can put a halt to foreclosure by paying a large lump sum," the post said.

"Also, a deed-in-lieu agreement can sometimes prevent foreclosure even after the process has started. This is when you turn ownership of your home over to the lender to avoid foreclosure."

Meanwhile, mortgage delinquency is rising in several states, according to a May 21 statement by financial services company WalletHub.

The findings are based on mortgage data from the fourth quarter of 2025 to the first quarter of 2026. During this period, the average number of delinquent mortgages rose by 12.32 percent in Vermont. This was followed by Delaware, with a 6.92 percent jump, and Louisiana, with a 4.4 percent rise.

"If you are delinquent on mortgage debt, you typically have until the debt is 30 days past-due, meaning you have missed two payments, in order to get current. After that, the lender will report the delinquency to the credit bureaus, which will damage your credit score," Chip Lupo, analyst at WalletHub, said.

"Therefore, it's important to try to get current on your debt as quickly as possible. If you are experiencing financial difficulty that prevents you from paying, ask your lender if they will allow temporary forbearance until you get back on your feet, which may prevent you from being reported as delinquent."