Drive down some roads in the upstate, and you see one "for sale" sign after another.
Behind closed doors, you'll find many of them are on the market because owners just couldn't make payments.
"It's just sad," says Marcie Kirby with Prudential Realty. She says foreclosures are definitely on the rise in the upstate.
“When you have an average of 110 to 130 in Spartanburg County a month, and it's popped up to 200 plus, and in then Greenville the same figures which they used about 200 on average and it popped up to 300 last month, it's increasing,” said Kirby.
Still nationally, North and South Carolina are well below the average. According to RealtyTrac, 1 in every 351 homes in America got foreclosure filings last month. In South Carolina it's 1 in 541 and in North Carolina, a much better rate, 1 in 1182.
In the Upstate, Greenville tops the list of counties with the most foreclosures last month.
Western North Carolina has relatively low foreclosure rates, Rutherford County coming in with the highest with only 12 filings last month.
Now if you're in the market for a house and you want to find a deal, chances are you're not going to see any foreclosure signs in our area. You're more likely to find something like a bank sign or even a realty sign. But websites like BuyBankHomes.com list foreclosures by zip codes. Just beware, sometimes the information is not up to date.
The best way, Kirby says to find foreclosed homes it to work with a realtor who’s in-the-know.
"Please use the expertise of home inspectors before you commit," she said.
Also beware, your purchase may not close as fast as other homes. But sometimes the low price is worth the wait.
If you are worried about going into foreclosure there is free help out there.
For the next three months you can take advantage of several free default clinics.
You'll get advice from certified consultants who act as liaisons between homeowners and lenders.
Call 1-800-223 -9213 ext. 308 to sign up.
The first clinic is next Tuesday April 20th at the Spartanburg Association of Realtors on Pine Street.
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