More Minn. homeowners fell behind on payments in 2010

The number of homeowners who fell behind on their mortgages at some point in 2010 in Minnesota was up over the previous year.

Data from the Minnesota Homeownership Center show that more than 71,000 households got a pre-foreclosure notice, an increase of 8 percent. Several months of missed mortgage payments will generally trigger a pre-foreclosure notice.

In the Twin Cities metro area, the number of notices increased by 3 percent over 2009.

Minnesota Homeownership Center spokesman Ed Nelson said the biggest spike was in Greater Minnesota -- where they saw a 15 percent jump in foreclosure notices.

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"While we are seeing on the one hand some bright spots in the housing market and some improvement in the employment rate ... we are still in this for the long haul with foreclosures," Nelson said.

Nelson said people are having a hard time making ends meet.

"The number one reason that people fall behind on their mortgage is due to job loss -- unemployment or underemployment," Nelson said.

Receiving a pre-foreclosure notice doesn't necessarily mean each homeowner will go all the way through foreclosure and lose their house, Nelson said.