Lender Processing Services has provided advanced highlights of data being prepared for its Monthly Monitor for December.  The Monitor, which will be later this month, indicates a slight rise in the delinquency rate for the month but a continuing annual downward trend.

The delinquency rate increased 0.74 percent from November to 7.17 percent including loans that are more than 30 days past due but not yet in foreclosure.  This is a year-over-year change of -9.11. There are currently 3.58 million mortgages that are 30 days or more past due but not in foreclosure; 1.55 million of these are more than 90 days in arrears.  

The pre-sale inventory of homes for which foreclosure has been initiated stands at 1.72 million loans, down 1.99 percent from November and -18.05 percent compared to December 2011.  The pre-foreclosure sale inventory rate is 3.44 percent. The number of properties that were in some stage of delinquency or foreclosure in December was 5,292,000.

The states with the highest percentage of delinquent loans and loans in foreclosure were Florida, Mississippi, New Jersey, Nevada, and New York.