Foreclosure Filings Up Sharply in Collier, Lee

Trends Reverse After One-Month Dip in November

Homeowners and realtors in and around Naples were optimistic when the number of foreclosure filings actually dipped last November. But any hopes for a downward trend will vanish with the news that foreclosure filings rose to somewhere between 650 and 700 last month. For the year, Collier County's total number of new foreclosure filings should be around 8,000. Just up the road in Lee County, there were almost three times the number of new foreclosure filings in December. Like Collier, Lee's foreclosure filings hit a record high in October (2,603) before dipping in November (1,645) and moving back up sharply in December (2,304). Jeff Tumbarello, a director for the Southwest Florida Real Estate Investment Association, says "Expect a lot of deeds to be conveyed into the new year. The Clerk’s Office has been gearing up for it."