Foreclosure filings in North Carolina were down 23 percent through the first 10 months of the year - a welcome sign, given that many predicted that filings would spike this year after a controversy over foreclosure documentation.
There were 46,228 foreclosure filings in the state for the 10 months ending Oct. 31, according to the N.C. Administrative Office of the Courts.
Filings were down 22 percent in Wake, down 18 percent in Durham and down 16 percent in Johnston.
Filings mark the start of the foreclosure process. Some homeowners will work out repayment plans. Others will lose their homes.
Although the crisis has not been as severe in the Triangle as elsewhere, it has still been an impediment to home prices stabilizing. Foreclosures are expected to be an issue as long as chronically high unemployment causes people to fall behind on their mortgages.
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The downtown developer pays $1.5 million for two properties located across Hillsborough Street from Meredith College. Hatem is also renovating The Raleigh Times Bar, one of many downtown establishments his restaurant group owns. 
National foreclosure trends took a positive turn in April, as the number of homes seized by banks declined and fewer properties entered into the foreclosure process. 
U.S. builders started work on more homes and apartments last month and requested more permits to build single-family homes. The increases suggest the battered housing market is healing. 
The number of showings and pending sales also increased in April compared to the same period last year. 
Homes that produce more energy than they consume appeal to more consumers thanks to the falling cost of solar power. KB Home plans to build a mass-market net-zero model in Raleigh this year, and a builder of custom homes plans a net-zero community in Chapel Hill. 
Tony Tata says increases in Wake County home sales for the first quarter disprove the idea that the choice-based school plan is scaring buyers away. Keep up with the latest business stories with our free e-mail newsletter, delivered straight to your inbox!
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