INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — While many area homeowners continue to be faced with foreclosure proceedings, the news on that front was a bit better in Indian River County as the number of filings dropped compared to residents of St. Lucie and Martin counties, according to figures released by RealtyTrac, which monitors the foreclosure market.Overall, 359 homeowners in Indian River County received a default notice of some kind in December, down 3.2 percent from the 371 notices last month, but up 3.2 percent from the 348 issued in December 2008.
By way of comparison, St. Lucie County spiked 19.2 percent with 1,172 notices sent out, well over the 983 that were mailed in November. A year ago, 1,502 St. Lucie County residents were issued a first-time foreclosure notice.Martin County, also spiked significantly last month with 374 notices, a 71.6 percent increase over the 218 sent in November. It marked a 36 percent jump (275) from December 2008.In breaking down the Indian River County figures, RealtyTrac counted 289 foreclosures initiated in Vero Beach, 62 in Sebastian and 8 in Fellsmere. The six-month foreclosure trend for the county is falling.For the year, the county ranked 28th in the state with 1 in 23 properties receiving a foreclosure notice. The 3,368 properties represents a 21.6 percent increase over 2008.
