Louisiana foreclosures double since 2008

There were 15,753 Louisiana properties under some stage of foreclosure in 2010, a 34 percent increase from the year before, and twice the total from 2008, according to statistics from RealtyTrac.

Despite the bump, Louisiana is still faring better than most of the country, ranked 38th in the U.S. for foreclosures. Nationally, 1 in every 45 residential properties received a foreclosure notice last year, compared to 1 in 120 in the Bayou State.

Foreclosure hot spots like California, Arizona, Illinois, Michigan and Florida accounted for half of the 3.8 million foreclosure filings in 2010, reported the website.

However, RealtyTrac chief executive James Saccacio said last years numbers would be higher if not for the robo-signing controversy that temporarily halted foreclosures.

"Many of the foreclosure proceedings that were stopped in late 2010, which we estimate to be as high as a quarter million, will likely be restarted in and add to the numbers in early 2011," he said.

The Department of Labor reported that the week of January 8 saw a spike in unemployment, indicating that many Americans will be unable to make plans for relocation anytime soon. Unemployment claims reached 445,000, only weeks after falling below 400,000 for the first time in two years.

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