Foreclosure notices rose in Linn County last month, and this was an exception from a statewide trend, according to a company that keeps track of the numbers.

In Linn County, 83 notices of default were filed in October, an increase of 8 percent from September.

In Benton County, the October filings numbered only 14, a drop of 39 percent from September.

Coos and Lincoln counties both saw increases in notices of default filings.

But most other Oregon counties checked saw a decline in home foreclosures in October, signaling a trend toward continued improvement in the state’s real estate market, according to Gorilla Capital of Eugene. The company tracks foreclosures in 15 of Oregon’s 36 counties and says it is the state’s largest purchaser of homes sold at foreclosure auction.

“Right now, foreclosures appear to be leveling off in most counties throughout Oregon,” Gorilla CEO John Helmick said. “That’s good news for the economy and the local real estate markets; Oregon buyers have continued to recognize and respond to the bargain prices created by foreclosures.”

The Portland area saw an

11 percent increase in new foreclosure filings, Helmick said. “It appears that while most of Oregon is experiencing improving conditions, the Portland metro area market has yet to find its bottom.”

In the 15 counties checked, October numbers reached 1,201, a decline of 9 percent from September when a total of 1,319 notices of default were filed. A notice of default is the official beginning of the foreclosure process.

Gorilla’s Oregon Foreclosure Index has decreased by 20 percent since July 2009,  when the state’s foreclosure numbers reached record highs. The OFI is still 21 percent higher than it was a year ago, Helmick said.

Democrat-Herald