U.S. foreclosure activity dropped 9 percent in December, backing down from a November foreclosure total that was the year’s highest. But the 109,652 new foreclosure filings during the month still represented a 35 percent increase from December 2005 and marked the fifth consecutive month with a foreclosure total above 100,000, according to the RealtyTrac U.S. Foreclosure Market Report released today.

Colorado, Nevada and Georgia posted the nation’s three highest state foreclosure rates despite decreasing foreclosure activity in all three states. Colorado’s foreclosure rate of one new foreclosure filing for every 376 households was nearly three times the national average.

Texas foreclosure activity increased 4 percent, helping the state reclaim the top spot from California in terms of total foreclosures. California foreclosure activity dropped 34 percent from the previous month, but the state’s foreclosure total was still the nation’s second highest.

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U.S. Foreclosure Rates - December 2006