Florida had the highest foreclosure rate of any state in the first half of 2026. ATTOM’s midyear report, published July 16, 2026, counted foreclosure filings on one in every 373 Florida housing units, with Florida filings up about 33% from a year earlier, and in August Florida again logged more foreclosure starts than any other state (ATTOM, September 17, 2026). Headlines like that send two kinds of people to search engines: owners who are behind on payments, and buyers wondering whether a wave of cheap foreclosures is about to hit the market.
Filings are court records. They do not tell you how many distressed homes a buyer can actually find for sale. So we measured that directly. Our Momentum Florida Distress Index, October 2026 release (published today, October 27), checks every active for-sale listing in the Florida MLS feeds we carry for a short-sale, foreclosure, bank-owned (REO), auction or pre-foreclosure signal. Here is what it shows, county by county, and what it means if you are buying, selling or trying to keep a home.
The short answer: under 1% of Florida listings, but rising
Of 292,337 active Florida MLS listings in the October release, 2,266 carry a distress signal: 0.78%. That is up 0.07 percentage points from the September release, when 2,044 of 283,238 listings (0.72%) were flagged. Put the other way, more than 99 of every 100 homes for sale in Florida are ordinary sales by owners who are not in default.
That is the first thing to understand about the 2026 foreclosure headlines. Filings are rising from very low post-pandemic levels, and ATTOM itself notes that national volumes remain well below historical norms (ATTOM, September 17, 2026). A filing is also only the start of a long process. Many end in a loan modification, a repayment plan, a regular sale or a short sale, and many of the homes that do go to a foreclosure auction are bought there or taken back by the lender before they ever reach the MLS. So a rising filing count shows up in listings slowly and only partly.
What counts as a distressed listing
- Short sale: the owner is selling for less than the mortgage balance and the lender must approve the price. The owner still holds title.
- Pre-foreclosure: a lender has started the foreclosure process (in Florida, a lawsuit) but no sale has happened yet. The listing remarks often say so.
- Auction: the property is being sold through an auction platform, which may be a lender’s sale or a private one.
- REO (real estate owned) or bank-owned: the lender took the property back at the foreclosure sale and is now reselling it, usually as-is.
We flag a listing when its status or its public remarks carry one of those signals, with a guard that skips phrases like “not a short sale.” The county table below includes every county with at least 200 active listings. These are statistics about housing inventory, never about the people who live anywhere.
Distressed listings by Florida county, October 2026
| County | Distress share | Distressed / active | Change vs Sept. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Polk | 4.21% | 252 / 5,989 | +0.18 pts |
| Osceola | 3.15% | 143 / 4,546 | +0.25 pts |
| Hillsborough | 2.71% | 180 / 6,641 | +0.07 pts |
| Lake | 2.60% | 82 / 3,159 | +0.49 pts |
| Pasco | 2.37% | 111 / 4,688 | +0.28 pts |
| Hernando | 2.14% | 33 / 1,541 | +0.24 pts |
| Duval | 2.08% | 91 / 4,373 | −0.07 pts |
| Clay | 2.01% | 26 / 1,291 | −0.07 pts |
| Levy | 1.81% | 5 / 277 | +1.09 pts |
| Orange | 1.73% | 103 / 5,968 | +0.10 pts |
| Volusia | 1.71% | 95 / 5,551 | +0.13 pts |
| Okaloosa | 1.58% | 27 / 1,709 | +0.22 pts |
| Seminole | 1.46% | 25 / 1,708 | +0.03 pts |
| Marion | 1.43% | 60 / 4,199 | +0.04 pts |
| Manatee | 1.33% | 55 / 4,141 | +0.12 pts |
| Selected other counties | |||
| St. Johns | 0.80% | 17 / 2,120 | +0.03 pts |
| Nassau | 0.38% | 2 / 524 | −0.19 pts |
| Miami-Dade | 0.49% | 100 / 20,430 | +0.12 pts |
| Broward | 0.45% | 67 / 14,756 | −0.01 pts |
| Palm Beach | 0.39% | 42 / 10,904 | +0.04 pts |
| Lee | 0.60% | 105 / 17,555 | +0.04 pts |
Source: Momentum Florida Distress Index, release 2026-10 (published October 27, 2026), Momentum Realty analysis of Florida MLS data. Top 15 counties by share among the 47 counties with at least 200 active listings. Deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
The lowest shares belong to the counties with the most expensive or most seasonal inventory. Monroe (0.07%), Martin (0.15%), Collier (0.24%), Palm Beach (0.39%), Broward (0.45%) and Miami-Dade (0.49%) all sit well under the state rate. Five counties with at least 200 listings had none flagged: Gadsden, Gulf, Union, Wakulla and Washington.
The pattern: Central Florida and the I-4 corridor
Seven of the ten highest shares are in Central Florida and the Tampa Bay area: Polk, Osceola, Hillsborough, Lake, Pasco, Hernando and Orange. Together those seven counties have 904 distressed listings out of 32,532 active, a share of about 2.8%, more than three times the statewide rate. Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach combined have 209 out of 46,090, about 0.45%.
Polk County stands out on both measures. It has the highest listing share in the state, 4.21% (252 of 5,989 listings), and ATTOM ranked the Lakeland-Winter Haven metro second among large U.S. metros for its foreclosure filing rate in the first half of 2026, at 0.48% of housing units (ATTOM, July 16, 2026). When the court records and the for-sale inventory point the same way, the signal is more reliable than either one alone.
The counties rising fastest month over month are Lake (up 0.49 points to 2.60%), Pasco (up 0.28 to 2.37%), Osceola (up 0.25 to 3.15%) and Santa Rosa (up 0.32 to 0.42%). Levy shows the biggest jump, 1.09 points, but that is 5 listings out of 277, so a couple of new listings move it a lot. Read small-county swings with care.
Where filings and listings disagree: Southwest Florida
Among metros of at least 200,000 people, ATTOM ranked Punta Gorda first in the nation for its first-half 2026 filing rate (0.50% of housing units) and Lakeland second (0.48%). The other Florida metros it named were Cape Coral (0.35%), Jacksonville (0.31%) and Ocala (0.31%). In August, Punta Gorda ranked second nationally, at one filing in every 1,249 housing units (ATTOM, September 17, 2026).
Yet the listing share in Charlotte County (Punta Gorda) is 1.18% and in Lee County (Cape Coral and Fort Myers) only 0.60%. Two things explain most of the gap. First, Southwest Florida has a very large pool of ordinary listings: Lee alone has 17,555 active, the second most of any Florida county after Miami-Dade, so 105 distressed listings are a small slice. Second, a filing is a court event, while a listing appears only if the property is marketed through the MLS as a short sale or after the lender takes it back. Properties that sell at the courthouse auction, or whose owners catch up or sell normally, never show up as distressed listings at all. If you are tracking Southwest Florida, watch both numbers.
Northeast Florida: Duval and Clay near 2%, St. Johns and Nassau low
In Northeast Florida, Duval County has 91 distressed listings out of 4,373 (2.08%) and Clay County 26 out of 1,291 (2.01%); both eased 0.07 points from September. St. Johns is at 0.80% (17 of 2,120), Flagler 0.83%, Nassau 0.38% (2 of 524) and Putnam 0.36%. ATTOM put the Jacksonville metro’s first-half filing rate at 0.31% of housing units, tied with Ocala behind Punta Gorda, Lakeland and Cape Coral among the Florida metros ATTOM named. For buyers in Jacksonville, that means roughly one listing in fifty is a short sale, pre-foreclosure, auction or bank-owned property: enough to find if you want one, not enough to move the whole market. Our Florida housing tracker shows the broader market: the typical Florida home value was down 0.5% year over year in September 2026, and 24.1% of listings had a price cut (release 2026-10, Zillow Research data through September 2026).
Buying a short sale, auction or bank-owned home in Florida
Distressed properties can make sense for some buyers, but each type comes with its own trade-offs. None of them is automatically a bargain; the price still has to make sense against recent comparable sales.
Short sales
The seller accepts your offer, then the lender (sometimes more than one) has to approve it. That approval can take weeks or months, and the lender may counter. Expect to sign an addendum that makes the deal subject to lender approval. Keep your inspection period and financing timeline realistic, and ask how far along the seller is in the approval process before you write.
Foreclosure auctions
Florida is a judicial foreclosure state: the lender has to sue in circuit court, and the court sets a sale date. The clerk runs the sale, and in most counties it is held online. Auction buyers usually cannot inspect the interior, typically pay a deposit at the sale and the balance shortly after, and take the property subject to whatever liens survive the judgment. Under Florida law the owner can generally redeem the property until the clerk files the certificate of sale (section 45.0315, Florida Statutes), and the certificate of title follows if no objection is filed within 10 days (section 45.031). This is a specialist’s market: order a title search and a municipal lien search before you bid, not after.
Bank-owned (REO) homes
These are the easiest distressed homes to buy, because they are listed on the MLS like any other home and the lender can deliver clear title. They are usually sold as-is, with the bank’s own addendum, and may have been vacant for months, so a full inspection matters: roof, plumbing, electrical, HVAC and, in Florida, wind mitigation and the four-point items your insurer will ask about. If the home is in an HOA or condo, get an estoppel letter so you know about unpaid assessments, and buy an owner’s title insurance policy.
Whatever the type, run the full cost: use our Florida closing costs calculator for cash to close, and remember that Florida property taxes reset after a sale. Our after-purchase property tax calculator shows what your bill will be, which can be far above what the prior owner paid.
If you are the owner and you are behind
A foreclosure filing in Florida usually leaves time to act, because the court process takes months. Options commonly include a repayment plan, a loan modification, a forbearance, selling the home yourself while you still have equity, or a short sale if you owe more than the home is worth. The earlier you talk to your servicer, the more of those options are available. A HUD-approved housing counselor can help at no cost, and an attorney can explain your rights in the court case. Our guide to stopping foreclosure in Florida walks through each option.
If you have equity, selling on the open market usually leaves you far more money than an auction. Our home value page or the seller page will show you what your home could sell for, and the Florida home equity checker estimates how much equity you have.
What to watch next
Three numbers will tell you whether Florida’s distress is spreading or staying contained. First, the monthly change in the Distress Index, which we refresh with each data update. Second, ATTOM’s monthly REO counts, because completed foreclosures are what eventually turn into bank-owned listings; nationally they were up 42% year over year in August (ATTOM, September 17, 2026). Third, price-cut share and days on market in our housing tracker. Distressed listings matter most to prices when they rise at the same time as ordinary sellers are cutting prices.
Frequently asked questions
Are foreclosures rising in Florida in 2026?
Yes, from a low base. ATTOM reported that Florida had the highest foreclosure filing rate of any state in the first half of 2026, one in every 373 housing units, and Florida had more foreclosure starts than any other state in August 2026. On the for-sale market the effect is smaller: 0.78% of active Florida MLS listings carried a distress signal in our October 2026 Distress Index, up from 0.72% in September.
Which Florida county has the most foreclosure listings?
By share of active listings, Polk County, where 4.21% of listings (252 of 5,989) carried a short-sale, foreclosure, REO, auction or pre-foreclosure signal in October 2026. Osceola (3.15%), Hillsborough (2.71%), Lake (2.60%) and Pasco (2.37%) follow. By count, Polk and Hillsborough have the most.
What percentage of Jacksonville homes for sale are foreclosures or short sales?
About 2%. In October 2026, 91 of 4,373 active Duval County listings (2.08%) carried a distress signal, and 26 of 1,291 in Clay County (2.01%). St. Johns County was 0.80% and Nassau County 0.38%.
Is it a good idea to buy a foreclosure in Florida?
It depends on the type and your tolerance for risk. Bank-owned homes listed on the MLS are the most straightforward but are usually sold as-is. Short sales need lender approval and can take months. Courthouse auctions usually allow no interior inspection and require a title and lien search before bidding. In every case the price still has to make sense against recent comparable sales.
How long does foreclosure take in Florida?
Florida uses judicial foreclosure, so the lender must sue in circuit court and the court sets the sale date. That usually takes months, and contested cases can take much longer. The owner can generally redeem the property until the clerk files the certificate of sale, under section 45.0315 of the Florida Statutes.
The takeaway
Florida does lead the country in foreclosure filings this year, but the for-sale market has not been flooded: 0.78% of active listings carry a distress signal statewide in October 2026, up slightly from 0.72% in September. The concentration is in Central Florida, led by Polk, Osceola, Hillsborough, Lake and Pasco, while South Florida and the most expensive coastal counties stay well under 1%. If you want a distressed home, you can find one, especially along the I-4 corridor. If you are an owner who is behind, there is usually more time and more choice than the headlines suggest.
Want to look at what is actually for sale? Browse Florida homes for sale, or talk to a Momentum buyer’s agent about short sales and bank-owned homes in your price range.
Sources
- Momentum Florida Distress Index, release 2026-10, published October 27, 2026, and release 2026-09, published September 30, 2026: Momentum Realty analysis of Florida MLS data; share of active for-sale listings with a short-sale, foreclosure, REO, auction or pre-foreclosure signal (status and remarks, negation-guarded); county table floor of 200 active listings. Deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Methodology and full table.
- Momentum Realty Florida housing tracker, release 2026-10, published October 19, 2026, from Zillow Research data through September 2026.
- ATTOM, “Foreclosure Activity Posts Annual Increase in First Half of 2026,” July 16, 2026: attomdata.com
- ATTOM, “Foreclosure Activity Remains Above Year-Ago Levels in August 2026,” September 17, 2026: attomdata.com
- The MortgagePoint, “U.S. Foreclosure Activity Continues to Trend Above Year-Ago Levels,” September 17, 2026: themortgagepoint.com
- Sections 45.031 and 45.0315, Florida Statutes (judicial sales; right of redemption).
How this article was prepared: county figures come from our Distress Index release files; group shares for the seven Central Florida counties and the three South Florida counties are sums of the published county counts. ATTOM figures are as published on the dates shown; ATTOM’s September and third-quarter reports were not available to us when this was written. Nothing here is legal, tax or financial advice, a valuation of any property, or a statement about any neighborhood’s residents. Figures are deemed reliable but not guaranteed.