CoreLogic: slight decline in shadow inventory

CoreLogic reported Tuesday that the current residential shadow inventory as of July 2011 declined slightly to 1.6 million units, representing a supply of 5 months.

This is down from 1.9 million units, a supply of 6 months, from a year ago, and follows a decline from April 2011 when shadow inventory stood at 1.7 million units. The moderate decline in shadow inventory is being driven by a pace of new delinquencies that is slower than the disposition pace of distressed assets.

Data Highlights:

• The shadow inventory of residential properties as of July 2011 fell to 1.6 million units, or 5–months’ worth of supply, down from 1.9 million units, or a 6-months’ supply, as compared to July 2010.
• Of the 1.6 million properties currently in the shadow inventory, 770,000 units are seriously delinquent (2.2-months’ supply), 430,000 are in some stage of foreclosure (1.2-months’ supply) and 390,000 are already in REO (1.1-months’ supply).
• As of July 2011 the shadow inventory is 22 percent lower than the peak in January 2010 at 2 million units, 8.4-months’ supply.
• The total shadow and visible inventory was 5.4 million units in July 2011, down from 6.1 million units a year ago. The shadow inventory accounts for 29 percent of the combined shadow and visible inventories.
• The aggregate current mortgage debt outstanding of the shadow inventory was $336 billion in July 2011, down 18 percent from $411 billion a year ago.