Tampa Bay foreclosures fell last month

Foreclosure filings remained nearly flat last month in the Tampa Bay are. The number of bay area properties in some phase of the foreclosure process — a default notice, scheduled auction or bank repossession — rose 1 percent, according to a RealtyTrac report released today. Lenders delivered new default notices to 1,813 bay area homeowners last month. Filings fell nearly 13 percent in Hillsborough and nearly 14 percent in Pinellas. But filings rose nearly 11 percent in Hernando and 61 percent in Pasco, the report said. In Florida, filing activity rose less than one percent in January. Nationally, filings jumped 3 percent.