This makes my brain hurt...

[Javaman]

Home foreclosures fall second time in 3 months

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22324246/

US foreclosure filings up 68 pct in Nov.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20071219/ap_on_bi_ge/foreclosure_rates

Who do I believe? MSNBC or Yahoo? One is from reuters the other is from RealtyTrac Inc.

I think we all know the answer to that.

:banghead:

[dmallind]

1. OR

it means you just missed the difference in that first article. The drop is a month to month measure (in other words November wasn't as bad as October). The increase is a yearly measure (Nov 2007 was a lot worse than Nov 2006).

EDIT - misinterpreted latter as YTD initially

[sinkingfeeling]

2. Both are actually correct. Down from Oct. to Nov. (and down from say Aug. to Sept.), but

68% higher than in Nov. 2006 (comparing year-to-year).

Lenders filed 201,950 foreclosure filings last month, down 10 percent from October, for a foreclosure rate of one in 617 households, according to RealtyTrac. Total filings were up almost 68 percent from November 2006, said the firm, which markets foreclosed houses.

[dysfunctional press]

3. both can be true...

the reuters article talks about month-to-month change, october to november, while the second article is about the change in november 2007 versus november 2006.