How Foreclosures have affected North Carolina in 2010

Below is an article I found on realestaterama.com today. Pretty interesting information, take a minute to read! Hope you all have a great day :)

Justice Center analysis: About 1 in 63 housing units in North Carolina were in foreclosure during 2010 | North Carolina

Justice Center analysis: About 1 in 63 housing units in North Carolina were in foreclosure during 2010

January 17, 2011

by North Carolina RealEstateRama

Category: News || Foreclosures, Housing & Development | No Comments

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County-by-county data tracking foreclosures is now available; Mecklenburg, Union counties worst off

RALEIGH, NC - January 17, 2011 - (RealEstateRama) — North Carolina broke the stateforeclosure filing record in 2010. And according to an analysis released today by the NC Justice Center, approximately one in every 63 housing units in North Carolina faced foreclosure filings last year.

For the first time, county-by-county data tracking foreclosures relative to a county’s housing units are now available.

Using U.S. Census data about each North Carolina county’ housing units combined with stateforeclosure filings, the Justice Center found that Mecklenburg and Union counties were worst off. During 2010, about one in 34 housing units in those counties were in foreclosure.

These figures do reflect a slight overestimate, said NC Justice Center Director of Communications Jeff Shaw, because the foreclosure filings also include some commercialforeclosures in addition to home foreclosures.

But the figures also actually underestimate the number of North Carolina’s working families affected, because many apartment buildings and multi-family units were foreclosed on during 2010.

“Now is the time for our leaders to support vital public investments that create jobs and help people stay in their homes,” said Bill Rowe, director of advocacy for the NC Justice Center. “We need to make critical investments in North Carolina’s future prosperity, like preserving essential programs that help homeowners avoid foreclosure.”

North Carolina’s proactive measures to prevent foreclosure have helped it stay ahead of places like Nevada, where one in 11 homes is in foreclosure, and the nation at large, where one in 45 homes received a foreclosure filing last year.

An Excel spreadsheet with data for every North Carolina county — dating back to 2000 and updated through Dec. 31, 2010 — is available to reporters for download here. If you have problems with the download, please e-mail jeff (at) ncjustice (dot) org for a copy.

Besides tracking total foreclosures and foreclosures by housing unit, the spreadsheet also hasforeclosure data per capita. These figures determine which counties have the most foreclosuresrelative to population size.

A list of the top 10 counties in North Carolina in terms of total foreclosure, foreclosure by housing unit, and foreclosures per capita follows this e-mail.

The per capita figures understate the problem considerably, said Shaw, because the per capita figures include everyone living in a given county – including children and non-homeowners. Still, it provides additional confirmation of how widespread foreclosure is throughout North Carolina.

Mecklenburg, Union and Brunswick counties are the only three counties in North Carolina to appear on all three lists (total foreclosures, foreclosures by housing unit, and foreclosures per capita).

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT: Jeff Shaw, Director of Communications, 503.551.3615; Bill Rowe, Director of Advocacy, 919.856.2177; or Rochelle Sparko, Housing Attorney, 919.863.2403.

TOP 10 BY TOTAL FORECLOSURE
Mecklenburg 12,176
Wake 5,584
Guilford 4,101
Forsyth 2,396
Union 2,050
New Hanover 1,894
Durham 1,772
Brunswick 1,723
Gaston 1,705
Cabarrus 1,609

TOP 10 BY FORECLOSURES PER HOUSING UNIT
Mecklenburg 1 in 34
Union 1 in 34
Dare 1 in 37
Currituck 1 in 43
Cabarrus 1 in 44
Brunswick 1 in 45
Franklin 1 in 47
Pender 1 in 49
Johnston 1 in 51
Clay 1 in 51

TOP 10 BY PER CAPITA MEASUREMENT
Dare 2.58%
Brunswick 1.56%
Currituck 1.36%
Mecklenburg 1.34%
Clay 1.25%
Cherokee 1.07%
Union 1.02%
New Hanover 0.97%
Pender 0.96%
Jackson 0.92%

The Healthy Home: Minimizing Household Health Risks

Flip through a magazine, browse the web, turn on the television or radio and you are bound to find someone talking about how to be more health conscious. Organic and all natural foods have hit a new high with everyone paying more attention to what they put in their mouth. But have you ever stopped to think about having a HEALTHY HOME? Not only do we need to pay attention to the kinds of food we eat- but the home we live in too...




Indoors is where Americans spend 90 percent of their lives – 25 percent at work and 65 percent at home, and the latter is increasing as home offices become more common. So it's important to take a look at how healthy the home environment is.

Mold isn't always this obvious!

• Mold is one concern that has gotten a good deal of attention recently, involving possible problems with allergies, the brain and the circulatory system. Wherever there is a leak, condensation or flooding inside a house, causing housing material to stay damp for more than a few days, mold begins to grow. So it's important to clean and repair roof gutters regularly, grade your land away from the house foundation to keep water from running toward the house, keep air-conditioning pans clean, and keep household humidity low.

• Radon is another naturally-occurring challenge that has become a common concern of potential homeowners. Radon is a gas that can cause lung cancer; it is present in soil and rock and can enter a home through basement walls and floors. Some states are more at risk than others, but the only way to be sure about levels of this colorless, odorless gas is to get a qualified radon inspection. 
• Proper ventilation in general is important for any home – an adequate exchange of air from within and without, to minimize humidity and disperse possible toxins, is needed even in the most energy-efficient of structures. And you should always make sure that fireplaces, stoves, furnaces and dryers are not venting any particles, gases or other unhealthy substances into your house.

• You should also be careful of everyday materials which can contain toxins (such as formaldehyde in carpets, to which alternatives are increasing), and, if your current or new home gets its water from a well, be sure to have it tested regularly. 

So, not only do we need to pay attention to having a healthy BODY but a healthy HOME as well!

info from TEAMERA.com