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Filings were down 8% year-on-year, but up 15% from the previous month - the highest such increase since March 2010.
Foreclosure filings include notices on defaults, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions.
Banks mostly suspend foreclosures during the holidays, so there's usually an uptick in foreclosures in October, averaging 8%, said Daren Blomquist, vice president of RealtyTrac.
"But the sheer magnitude of the increase this year demonstrates there is more than just a seasonal pattern at work," Blomquist said in a press release. "Distressed properties that have been in a holding pattern for years are finally being cleared for landing at the foreclosure auction."
Foreclosure auctions totaled 59,869 properties last month, up 24% from September and the highest level since May 2013. Miami, Orlando, and Tampa were the metros with the highest foreclosure rates.
We drew on RealtyTrac's report to highlight the 14 states with the highest foreclosure rates last month. Note: The states are ranked by foreclosure rate, i.e., one in every X homes received a foreclosure filing.