Housing's Double Dip Part II: Rising Foreclosures

08-06-2011 • CNBC.com

Just as we saw a double dip in home prices, we may be seeing another surge in foreclosures. And just as the home price scenario was caused by artificial government stimulus, in the form of the home buyer tax credit juicing home sales only briefly, the foreclosure scenario was caused by real negligence, in the form of the "robo-signing" paperwork scandal. Banks and servicers stopped foreclosures entirely for a time after the malpractice was discovered, and courts delayed the process, picking through papers as foreclosures were resubmitted; that is now turning around. The system is ramping up again, and foreclosure starts are up dramatically, more than 10 percent in June from the previous month, according to Lender Processing Services (LPS). The good news of the past few months has been that while the end game is quickening, as stalled foreclosures are making their way through the system at a faster pace, new delinquencies were decreasing, leading us all to believe that the crisis is abating. Well think again.