Santa Barbara, CA (RealtyStore) February 27, 2009 – RealtyStore (www.realtystore.com), the nation’s leading provider of foreclosure listings, released its Arizona Foreclosure Report.

Despite a decrease in foreclosure activity from December 2008, Arizona continues to register one of the highest foreclosure rates in the nation, with one in 182 homes being foreclosed upon in January 2009. RealtyStore.com recorded 10,001 auction notices statewide for January 2009, representing a 9% decrease from those recorded in December 2008; however, this figure is still 17% above January 2008 at 8,563 auction notices. An auction notice, also known as a Notice of Trustee Sale (NTS) or Notice of Foreclosure Sale (NFS), is filed by the lending institution when a homeowner fails to cure their default. This is the second stage of foreclosure where the lender formally records its intent to sell the property through a public auction.