SACRAMENTO, Calif.— Nearly 102,000 homeowners lost their properties to foreclosure in August, up nearly 6 percent from July and more than 80 percent higher than in August 2007, according to data released today by ForeclosureS.com, a national leader in foreclosure information.

So far this year, lenders have repossessed a record 656,545 properties nationwide--or 8.6 of every 1,000 households in the United States – and remain on track to repossess more than 1 million nationwide by year-end, Foreclosures.com reported.

Year-to-date 1.45 million homeowners (19.6 of every 1,000 households) faced pre-foreclosure actions by lenders, almost double the number a year ago. ForeclosureS.com‘s comprehensive analysis of pre-foreclosure and foreclosure proceedings nationwide is based on the number of formal notices filed against a property during the foreclosure process. That can include notice of default, notice of foreclosure auction, and/or notice of REO (lender-owned real estate that occurs after a foreclosed property fails to sell at auction and reverts back to the lender). All pre-foreclosure filings do not end up in foreclosure.

There is some good news: pre-foreclosures actions by lenders slowed slightly from July and more than half of the pre-foreclosure as well as REO activities can be attributed to three states: Arizona, California and Florida, said Alexis McGee, president of Foreclosures.com and author of The ForeclosureS.com Guide to Advanced Investing Techniques You Won't Learn Anywhere Else (Wiley), and The ForeclosureS.com Guide to Investing in Pre-foreclosures Without Selling Your Soul(Wiley).

Even the Mortgage Bankers Association, which last week announced more record mortgage delinquency and foreclosure rates, singled out California and Florida as culprits driving up the national numbers. The MBA in its National Delinquency Survey reported 6.41% of all mortgage loans were delinquent in the second quarter, not including those in the foreclosure process. A total of 2.75% of loans were somewhere in the foreclosure process.

“While we continue to see record numbers of foreclosures and actions that may lead to foreclosure, and despite the higher 6.1% August unemployment rate, it does appear that the overall situation is beginning to stabilize,” McGee said. “Importantly, many regions of the country – particularly the Northeast and Midwest – have seen less-dramatic increase in foreclosures and pre-foreclosure activity in 2008 compared with 2007.”

The Southwest region, in contrast, reported by far the most foreclosed property filings year-to-date, 348,019 or 12.7 filings per 1,000 households. The Southeast, meanwhile, leads the nation in pre-foreclosure actions filed year to date with 477,177, or 27.5 filings per 1,000 households.

“For investors and first-time homebuyers, the reality is that there are a lot of opportunities,” says McGee. “People who watch the economic numbers and savvy investors and first-time homebuyers finally have begun to recognize that.”

McGee pointed to recent economic reports, including:

· The National Association of Realtors, for example, reported existing-home sales climbed 3.1 % in July to their highest level in five months.

· The just-released U.S. gross domestic product (GDP) climbed 3.3% in the second quarter.

· Despite the widespread discussion of problems in the financial markets, only 10 of the nation’s 8,451 FDIC-insured institutions have failed during what some have called this “worst crisis” in financial markets. That’s barely $40 billion in assets out of the more that $13.3 trillion.

While buying opportunities exist in today’s market, McGee cautions: “If you’re considering buying a property pre-foreclosure, at auction, or REO, pay attention to its condition inside and out. That great deal could end up that horrible nightmare if you haven’t accounted for possible property problems, the cost of repairs, and more. Don’t expect a great deal at a foreclosure auction, either. If there is one, the pros likely beat you to it, or the ‘great deal’ isn’t. Better still, find the right professional to teach you about foreclosure auctions, and learn how you can beat the pros in their own game.”

With its data base of more than 5.5 million property listings, ForeclosureS.com has been the professional’ssource for accurate foreclosure property information for more than 20 years. For more information on ForeclosureS.com and its products, please visit www.foreclosures.com.

Media Contact:

Sofia Gutierrez, ForeclosureS.com, 916-860-1190 or sofia@halldinpr.com