Plymouth County register: deeds fell in February while mortgage recordings rose

John Buckley, register of deeds for Plymouth County, said 328 deeds were recorded in February, down from 462 in January and 421 in the same month last year. He said the countywide average sale price for the 27 communities was about $687,495.

"January and February are usually the slowest recording months in the calendar year," Buckley said, and added that prices vary widely by town with some communities seeing average sale prices above $2 million.

Buckley said 1,014 mortgages were recorded in February, below January's 1,117 but about 20% higher than the same month last year. He said year-to-date mortgage recordings were up about 15%, which he attributed in part to falling rates and refinance activity.

Foreclosure activity stayed low by long-term measures, Buckley said: there were seven foreclosure deeds in February (up from four in January) and 29 foreclosure notices, and he encouraged homeowners to act early if they face payment difficulty. "A foreclosure deed is when a lender has gone all the way with all the notices required to take back the property," he said.

Buckley highlighted local differences in filings: "In Brockton they had six foreclosure notices and two foreclosure deeds recorded," he said, and noted Plymouth had four orders of notice recorded during the period cited.

He urged homeowners who are struggling to contact a federal housing counselor such as NeighborWorks to explore loan modifications. "You have to be vigilant," Buckley said.

The register's monthly briefing is produced by Brockton Cable Access and the registry staff and will be updated next month.