Kimberly Draxler was in shock when she called her mortgage lender in April and was informed that her four -bedroom house in Hillview, Kentucky, would be sold under her in a few days.
Although she was alerted that something could be bad by a letter by post from a lawyer offering assistance to keep foreclosure away, she said that her lender had never informed her that she was about to lose her house.
“They never called me and told me that they were just going to tear my house below me,” Draxler told CBS News.
The lender of Draxler said that he warns all the borrowers of a possible seizure by mail and by telephone throughout the process, in accordance with the rules for recovering federal debt.
Before learning that his house entered foreclosure, Draxler, who is 57 years old and with a handicap, said that she had stayed financially by relying on her son, who contributed $ 600 per month to help take care of household expenses. But after having moved in 2024, his bills began to accumulate, she told CBS News. Draxler quickly delayed on his mortgage.
The financial pressures which took place on Draxler highlight the difficulties of the owners who have always faced the increase in the cost of everything, housing and grocery store has energy bills and insurance coverage. With many extensive households, thin and unexpected events such as job loss, unforeseen medical expenses or even simple car problems can encourage people to delay their mortgages.
“I couldn’t do it anymore”
Although entries – which include default opinions, planned auctions or bank uses – remain below their pre -pale levels, they are increasing.
In August, foreclosure deposits had increased by six months and increased by 18% compared to a year ago, according to the data company on ATTOM. Until June, around 188,000 properties had foreclosure deposits, putting the United States on the right track to exceed the approximately 322,000 American properties which were devoted to foreclosure in 2024.
“Paying for the house, the car, the necessities of necessity – I could not do it anymore,” said Draxler, who was close to losing his house in foreclosure three times in the last decade.
According to the Urban Institute, around 94% of mortgage loans have lost income for attenuating circumstances, citing data from the National Bureau of Economic Research.
Costs accessible to property
A key factor behind the increase in entry rates is cost home insurance, public services, land taxes, repairs and other ownership costs. For example, unifamilial owners with a mortgage today pay an average of $ 2,370 per year for real estate coverage – up almost 70% compared to five years ago, according to data from ICE Mortgage Technology.
In addition to the increase in insurance costs of owners, many households also face exorbitant land taxes as well as high interest rates.
“All of these growing costs associated with holding a house, you have increasing pressure on existing owners to continue to afford and pay their mortgages,” CBS News Geoff Smith, executive director of the Institute for Housing Studies at DEPAUL, told CBS.
Todd Teta, chief of products and technology at Attom, also cited the recent slowdown in hiring As a factor behind the increase in mortgage delinquency, noting that job loss often stimulates seizures.
A high interest rate environment can be particularly difficult for owners with variable rate loans, which are reset at certain intervals partly depending on market conditions. This means that a owner could see a major leap in its monthly mortgage payment if its reset occurs when interest rates are high.
A narrow escape
Other loans of this type now reach their reset rules, noted Teta, a trend that he expects to continue. “Although there was a low drop in interest rates, they remain significantly higher than a few years ago, so borrowers with future resets are still likely to see considerable payment increases.”
As for Draxler, she managed to keep it at home by depositing the bankruptcy of chapter 13, which allows debtors to keep their property and reimburse the debt over time, generally within three to five years. But getting closer to losing your house over 30, continues to weigh on it.
“I didn’t want to lose my house,” said Draxler. “I would not have room to go.”
