‘Zombie’ foreclosures, or unoccupied or abandoned homes awaiting foreclosure, rose by 3.1% across the country in Q1 2020, up to a total of 8,700 homes nationwide. About 282,800 single-family homes were in foreclosure in Q1 2020, down 1.9% from the fourth quarter of 2019.
In many housing markets there are no zombie foreclosures at all, according to ATTOM. The states with the highest zombie foreclosure rates with 500 or more properties in foreclosure and 100 or more zombie foreclosures included Ohio (6.8% of all foreclosures were empty), Indiana (5.1%), Illinois (4.7%), Oklahoma (4.5%) and Maryland (4.3%).
Overall, vacant properties account for approximately 1.5% of all residences across the country, or more than 1.52 million single family homes and condos. Most are investor-owned properties without a tenant, according to the report.
