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State of Affairs PRESENTS TOP NEWS Foreclosure inventories may be dwindling, but certain metros showed high levels of foreclosure activity in 2012, which could translate to increases in listings of pre-foreclosure short sales and foreclosed REOs in 2013. After poring over individual market foreclosure data—namely the annual percentage change in foreclosure activity and the number of foreclosure starts and completions—RealtyTrac released a list of 20 metros where for-sale foreclosures are expected to rise this year. Among the list, eight are in Florida, with Palm Bay leading the pack with the highest annual increase in foreclosure activity, 110 percent. Other Florida metros poised to become foreclosure sale hotspots include Lakeland, Tampa, Panama City, Pensacola, Jacksonville, Orlando, and Ocala. Tampa and Orlando were recognized for their high number of foreclosure starts, which numbered 22,594 and 17,429, respectively. North Carolina had four metros on the list: Raleigh, Charlotte, Winston-Salem, and Greensboro. In Raleigh, foreclosure activity increased 62 percent in 2012. Two Connecticut metros, New Haven and Bridgeport, also made the list. New York, which is known for its long foreclosure timeline, was listed with its 30,455 foreclosure starts last year. The remaining metros where foreclosure listings are expected to rise in the coming months are Omaha, Nebraska; Rockford, Illinois; Pittsburgh and Allentown, Pennsylvania; and Cleveland, Ohio. Note: The state-by-state trends are based on a compilation of November 2012 real estate public records data and proprietary mortgage loan performance transactions provided by Lender Processing Services, Inc. as well as a preliminary unemployment rate for November 2012 based upon public information from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Lender Processing Services, Inc. (LPS) is a provider of mortgage and consumer loan processing services, mortgage settlement services, default solutions, and loan performance analytics, as well as solutions for the real estate industry, capital markets investors, and government offices. Formed from a 2008 spin-off, LPS' predecessor companies date back nearly half a century to the early beginnings of computing and statistical services. LPS' high-performance technology, robust data, innovative services, and award-winning customer support are why most of the nation's top 50 banks have chosen LPS to provide the solutions they need in today's competitive marketplace. To learn more about LPS visit lpsvcs.com.