Top 20 states by foreclosure rate in January

(AP) - A $25 billion, multistate settlement with the nation's largest major banks is expected to pave the way for more foreclosures this year.

RealtyTrac estimates foreclosures will rise 25 percent this year to 1 million homes.

RealtyTrac Inc. says that banks filed foreclosure-related warnings against 210,941 U.S. homes in January. That's up 3 percent from December, but down 19 percent from January last year.

The number of homes taken back by lenders in January rose 8 percent from the previous month. Repossessions fell 15 percent from a year earlier.

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Here is a list of the top 20 states with the highest foreclosure rates in January. The ratio shows, for example, that one out of every 198 households in Nevada received a foreclosure notice during the month. Also highlighted: the number of properties that received notices.

January foreclosure rankings

(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)