Plymouth County register reports March uptick in sales, says foreclosures remain low

John Buckley, Plymouth County register of deeds, told viewers on his Brockton Cable Access Television program that 498 property sales were recorded in March and the countywide average sale price was $718,007.21. "There were 498 sales recorded in March," Buckley said, noting the total was higher than the 328 deeds recorded in February.

Buckley said mortgage recordings were up compared with last year, reporting about a 29% increase compared with last March and about 20% higher year to date, which he said reflects refinancing and other mortgage activity. He also told listeners that, "foreclosure deeds and foreclosure notices have not really gone up a lot," reporting six foreclosure deeds in the county in March, down from seven in February and 45% lower than last March.

Why it matters: rising mortgage activity alongside low foreclosure deeds suggests more homeowners are refinancing or recording mortgage-related documents even as sales recover from disruptions Buckley attributed to February storms. Buckley urged homeowners facing payment difficulty to contact a federal housing counselor and to act promptly: "If you're having any difficulty paying your loan, don't ignore that. Reach out to somebody like a federal housing counselor, and they can try to help you."

Buckley described a free fraud-alert service offered by the registry. He said the office sends a monthly list of foreclosure notices to NeighborWorks, which conducts outreach, and encouraged homeowners to sign up at plymouthdeeds.org. "If you sign your name up and put your email in there, anything recorded against your name will generate an email," he said, calling the service a free, simple way to monitor recordings. He warned against paid mail offers that charge for deed copies and noted registry offices in Brockton, Rockland and Plymouth where certified copies are available at low cost.

Buckley also took time for local-interest segments, recalling Brockton native Herbert Warren Wind and a historical sketch about Deborah Sampson. He closed by thanking station staff and contributors and said the program will return in May.

Reporting notes: Buckley said sales were "running at about, 88% down year to date," but he did not provide a baseline or additional calculation details for that figure. Where Buckley gave specific numbers, they are reported above; where he spoke qualitatively (for example, characterizing foreclosure notices as "higher, but still not bad"), the article reflects his phrasing rather than independent measurement.