Research recently collected by RealtyTrac Year-End 2009 Foreclosure Market Report indicates that 3,957,643 foreclosure filings were reported on 2,824,674 United States properties in 2009. Included in this research was scheduled foreclosure auctions, default notices and bank repossessions.

This is a twenty one percent increase in land from statistics in data that was collected in 2008, and a one hundred and twenty percent increase in total properties from 2007. Additionally the report indicated that one in forty five housing units, 2.21 percent, got at least one foreclosure filing in the year of 2009, up from 2008’s 1.48 percent and 2007’s 1.03 percent.

In the month of December alone, foreclosure filings have been reported on 349,519 properties in December. This a fourteen percent jump from the previous month of November and a fifteen percent increase from 2008. But despite the fact that there was an increase in December, foreclosure actions in the fourth quarter of 2008 has decreased by seven percent.

Of all of the states in America, Nevada took the nation’s highest state foreclosure rate; more than ten percent of housing units received at least one foreclosure filing in 2009. This is Nevada’s third consecutive year at the top of the foreclosure list. Nevada’s foreclosure activity in the month of December increased twenty seven percent from the previous month, however it still was down by twenty two percent from December of 08.

Arizona took the nation’s second highest state foreclosure rate in 2009 with six percent or more of properties that had at least one foreclosure filing during 2009, and Florida took the nation’s third highest foreclosure rate at 5.93 percent of its properties receiving at least one foreclosure during the filing year.

This raises concerns in the debt collection industry. Recent trends have noted that consumers are pumping up their credit debt and low balling their assets to receive lower payment plans. The fact that they are maxing out their credit cards to receive lower payment plans does not look promising.

Mallory Megan works for a debt collection agency. Also she composes stories on business, finance, consumer spending and collection agencies. Also published at Foreclosures On The Rise.