Almost a decade after home foreclosures skyrocketed during the financial crisis, they are starting to rise again in some of the country’s hottest real estate markets. And loosening lending standards may be among the reasons, according to experts. 22 states posted increases in new foreclosure filings in the first 6 months of 2018, compared to the same period in 2017, according to a report out this week.

 

In Los Angeles, foreclosure filings increased 9% on a year-over-year basis — from January to June — and 39% on a quarterly basis — from April to June.

 

Nationwide, however, the total number of homes with existing foreclosure filings in the first 6 months of the year, 362,275, was down about 15% from the same period last year. At its peak, there were 1,600,000 foreclosure filings in the U.S. in the first 6 months 2010.