RealtyTrac released yesterday its U.S. Foreclosure Market Report for November 2010, which shows foreclosure filings were reported on 262,339 U.S. properties in November, a 21 percent decrease from the previous month and a 14 percent decrease from November 2009. Both decreases in foreclosure activity were the highest drops recorded since RealtyTrac began publishing the U.S. Foreclosure Report in January 2005.

“Foreclosure activity decreased dramatically in November, with fewer than 300,000 properties receiving a foreclosure notice for the first time since February 2009,” says James J. Saccacio, chief executive officer at RealtyTrac. “While part of the decrease can be attributed to a seasonal drop of 7 to 10 percent that typically occurs in November, fallout from the foreclosure robo-signing controversy forced lenders and servicers to hit the pause button on many foreclosures while they scrambled to revamp their internal procedures and revise or resubmit questionable paperwork.”

Image courtesy of CJ Burton/Corbis

With 32,938 properties receiving a foreclosure filing in November, Florida posted the second highest state total despite a 42 percent drop in foreclosure activity from the previous month. Default notices in Florida, which is a judicial foreclosure state, decreased 52 percent from the previous month, while scheduled auctions decreased 46 percent and bank repossessions decreased 20 percent. California No. 1 in foreclosures in November, with 57,378 properties receiving a filing during the month.

Other states with foreclosure activity totals among the nation’s 10 highest in November were Illinois (12,941), Nevada (11,371), Ohio (10,458), Arizona (10,384) and Pennsylvania (5,672).