Deterioration in early stage residential delinquency offset a decline in the foreclosure rate last month. But loan performance was significantly better than a year earlier.
The latest reading on residential loan performance had U.S. mortgage delinquency of at least 30 days, including foreclosures, at 8.95 percent as of Dec. 31, according to data reported by Black Knight Financial Services.
That was exactly the same as the non-current rate at the end of the previous month.
But mortgage servicers have made much progress compared to the end of 2012, when 30-day delinquency was 10.61 percent.
A total of 4,488,000 home loans were either delinquent or in the process of foreclosure as of Dec. 31, 2013.
The highest levels of non-current mortgages were in the states of Mississippi, New Jersey, Florida, New York and Louisiana.
Total delinquency, however, was lowest in Montana, Colorado, Alaska, South Dakota and North Dakota.
The latest U.S. rate reflected a 30-day past-due rate, excluding foreclosures, of 6.47 percent, 2 basis points worse than as of Nov. 30 but 70 BPS better than as of Dec. 31, 2012.
The pre-sale foreclosure inventory rate was 2.48 percent, 2 BPS less than the previous month and 96Â BPS better than the previous year.
