Editor note: This article was published on January 20, 2014 and describes Florida housing, foreclosure, and short sale conditions as they stood at that time. Market data, lender and government programs, and court timelines referred to here have changed since publication. It is kept as a record of that period and is not a current statement of Florida law or market conditions.

According to attorney Aaron Resnick, the foreclosure wave has not diminished in Miami-Dade County, Florida. Of the 50 largest metro areas, Riverside-San Bernardino posted the highest foreclosure rate, with one in every 62 housing units with a foreclosure filing during the quarter. In Miami, one in every 95 housing units had a foreclosure filing this past quarter.

Other metros with foreclosure rates that were more than twice the national average included Sacramento (one in 77 housing units), Las Vegas (one in 82 housing units), Phoenix (one in 87 housing units), Atlanta (one in 90 housing units), Miami (one in 95 housing units), Orlando (one in 101 housing units), and Chicago (one in 107 housing units).

RealtyTrac is an online marketplace of foreclosure properties, with more than 2 million default, auction, and bank-owned listings from over 2,200 U.S. counties, along with detailed property, loan and home sales data.

The metro areas that saw the largest increases in foreclosure activity among the 50 were Orlando (+52 percent); Indianapolis (+41 percent); Hartford, Connecticut (+38 percent); Miami (+37 percent); and Philadelphia (+33 percent).

Metro areas with foreclosure rates in the top 20 category included Atlanta (No. 11); Miami (No. 13); Orlando (No. 15); Rockford, Illinois (No. 16); Chicago (No. 17); and Prescott, Arizona (No. 19).

The Law Offices of Aaron Resnick, P.A. is positioned to help homeowners with short sales, loan modifications and foreclosure defense throughout the State of Florida.