by Calculated Risk on 5/12/2008 09:59:00 AM

From the New York Post: Trouble in Paradise (hat tip blogenfreude)

In the first three months of this year, banks have launched preliminary foreclosure actions - known as lis pendens proceedings - against a record 120 borrowers in East Hampton and Southampton towns.
...
"This problem didn't even exist before," said John Brady, a broker with Coldwell Banker in East Hampton. "They used to pop up once in a while, and you wouldn't even pay attention. Now you expect to see new ones every week."

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Tax assessors boggled by housing dip (hat tip James)

For less than the price of a decent used car, you can buy a home in Atlanta today.

Actually, real estate agents list a dozen choices for $10,000 or less.

Step up in price to $20,000 and your choices expand 10 fold.

The prices seem absurd but they are part of a real estate market suffering with rampant foreclosures, mortgage fraud, abandoned investor properties, a collapsing mortgage industry and other ills.
...
Wayne Flanagan, a RE/MAX agent who sells bank-owned properties, said in zip codes like 30310 and 30315 values have taken a nosedive faster than public officials can account for.

"There are some price ranges like $20,000-$80,000 where 90 percent of the properties on the market are foreclosures," Flanagan said. "You've got one bank competing against another. It's a spiraling situation, downward."

Let me know when houses in the Hamptons are selling for the price of used car! The foreclosure problem is everywhere.