According to ATTOM, a self-described “leading curator of land, property, and real estate data," foreclosure filings across the nation dropped about 10% in April, but the numbers were still up 8% from last year.

In New York state, there are some reasons why there may be more filings.

Kirsten Keefe, a senior attorney with the Empire Justice Center and director of the Homeowner Protection Program said a foreclosure moratorium due to the COVID-19 pandemic ended in January 2022. She said courts have been slow to come back.

“Also a lot of the law firms who are representing the lenders, bringing the foreclosures, have been sort of in a wall as well. And so we didn't quite see the high numbers that we expected last summer," said Keefe. "But I'm not surprised that it has taken another year for both the backlog of cases and then new cases to come in the pike."

Keefe said there are a lot of options for New York state homeowners who are in default on their mortgage or property taxes to get help.

“We are very fortunate to have probably the largest network of nonprofit housing counseling and legal services programs funded through the state to provide direct assistance to homeowners in default and foreclosure," she said.

She said there are a lot of protections for homeowners in New York, including that homeowners must receive a notice at least 90 days before a foreclosure can be filed and the notice must include a list of housing counseling agencies in their region.

"People should not be feeling like they need to move immediately. The foreclosure process is a judicial process, so it does take time. So it's good to just understand what the process is and what to expect, and then it can help you plan your next step," said Keefe.

She added that property taxes seem to be impacting senior citizens disproportionately. She urges them, and anyone else facing or trying to avoid foreclosure, to watch out for foreclosure rescue scammers as these previously mentioned nonprofit services are free.

Homeowners can get in touch with the Homeowner Protection Program at 1-855-466-3456.