ICE First Look: Mortgage Performance Remains Stable as Foreclosure Inventory Growth Slows to Nine-Month Low

ATLANTA & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE: ICE), one of the world's leading providers of financial market technology and data powering global capital markets, today released the August 2026 ICE First Look at mortgage delinquency, foreclosure and prepayment trends.

Key takeaways from this month’s findings include:

• National delinquency rate rose on calendar effects: The national delinquency rate rose 14 basis points (bps) to 3.53% in August but was effectively flat after accounting for the prior month’s calendar-driven decline. The delinquency rate is up a modest 10 bps year over year but remains 35 bps below its August 2019 level and below every pre-pandemic August on record.
• Early-stage delinquencies remained below year-ago levels, while serious delinquencies climbed: Loans 30 and 60 days past due rose in August but remain down 21,000 from a year ago. Seriously delinquent loans rose by 11,000 to 574,000, ending five months of declines, and remain 19% above last year. Still, at 1.04% of active loans, the serious delinquency rate is in line with the 2017-2019 pre-pandemic August average of 1.03%.
• Foreclosure starts and sales eased: Starts fell 6% in August, though still up 29% annually. Sales dipped 2%, running at just 57% of August 2019's pace despite being up 12% year over year.
• Foreclosure inventory held largely flat: Pre-sale inventory rate was unchanged at 0.54%, matching its highest reading since February 2020. Active inventory rose just 2,000, the smallest monthly build since November 2025, but is up 89,000, or 41%, year over year.
• Prepayment speeds fell to a 17-month low: Single-month mortality (SMM) was down 11 bps to 0.64%, marking a fifth consecutive monthly decline as mortgage rates trended higher. Recent originations from 2023-2025 led the pullback, with SMM easing to 0.91% from a March peak of 2.32%.

“While overall performance remains sound, the market isn’t moving uniformly,” said Bob Hart, President of Mortgage Technology at ICE. “ICE is committed to giving lenders and servicers a clear view of the data, analytics and workflow tools they need to identify borrowers who may need assistance earlier, manage those cases more effectively and help keep people in their homes.”

Data as of August 30, 2026

Total U.S. loan delinquency rate (loans 30 or more days past due, but not in foreclosure): 3.53%

Month-over-month change: 4.21%

Year-over-year change: 2.94%

Total U.S. foreclosure pre-sale inventory rate: 0.54%

Month-over-month change: 0.66%

Year-over-year change: 41.08%

Total U.S. foreclosure starts: 37,000

Month-over-month change: -5.80%

Year-over-year change: 28.76%

Monthly prepayment rate (SMM): 0.64%

Month-over-month change: -14.61%

Year-over-year change: -3.82%

Foreclosure sales: 7,800

Month-over-month change: -1.67%

Year-over-year change: 11.66%

Number of properties that are 30 or more days past due, but not in foreclosure: 1,956,000

Month-over-month change: 81,000

Year-over-year change: 71,000

Number of properties that are 90 or more days past due, but not in foreclosure: 574,000

Month-over-month change: 11,000

Year-over-year change: 92,000

Number of properties in foreclosure pre-sale inventory: 298,000

Month-over-month change: 2,000

Year-over-year change: 89,000

Number of properties that are 30 or more days past due or in foreclosure: 2,254,000

Month-over-month change: 84,000

Year-over-year change: 160,000

Top 5 States by Non-Current* Percentage
Louisiana:	8.41%
Mississippi:	8.33%
Alabama:	6.30%
Indiana:	6.24%
Arkansas:	5.90%
Bottom 5 States by Non-Current* Percentage
Oregon:	2.46%
California:	2.35%
Washington:	2.24%
Montana:	2.22%
Idaho:	2.00%
Top 5 States by 90+ Days Delinquent Percentage
Mississippi:	2.57%
Louisiana:	2.33%
Alabama:	1.89%
Georgia:	1.64%
Indiana:	1.62%
Top 5 States by 12-Month Change in Non-Current* Percentage
New York:	-4.57%
Idaho:	-1.24%
Montana:	-0.33%
Massachusetts:	-0.08%
Rhode Island:	0.61%
Bottom 5 States by 12-Month Change in Non-Current* Percentage
Hawaii:	31.71%
Kentucky:	18.49%
Colorado:	16.80%
Michigan:	14.39%
Ohio:	14.25%
*Non-current totals combine foreclosures and delinquencies as a percent of active loans in that state.
Notes:
1) Totals are extrapolated based on ICE’s loan-level database of mortgage assets.
2) All whole numbers are rounded to the nearest thousand, except foreclosure starts and sales, which are rounded to the nearest hundred.

The company will provide a more in-depth review of this data in its monthly Mortgage Monitor report, which includes an analysis of data supplemented by detailed charts and graphs that reflect trend and point-in-time observations. The Mortgage Monitor report will be available online at https://www.icemortgagetechnology.com/resources/data-reports.

For more information about gaining access to ICE’s loan-level database, please send an email to [e-mail].

About Intercontinental Exchange

Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (NYSE: ICE) is a Fortune 500 company that designs, builds and operates digital networks that connect people to opportunity. We provide financial technology and data services across major asset classes helping our customers access mission-critical workflow tools that increase transparency and efficiency. ICE’s futures, equity, and options exchanges – including the New York Stock Exchange – and clearing houses help people invest, raise capital and manage risk. We offer some of the world’s largest markets to trade and clear energy and environmental products. Our fixed income, data services and execution capabilities provide information, analytics and platforms that help our customers streamline processes and capitalize on opportunities. At ICE Mortgage Technology, we are transforming U.S. housing finance, from initial consumer engagement through loan production, closing, registration and the long-term servicing relationship. Together, ICE transforms, streamlines and automates industries to connect our customers to opportunity.

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Category: Mortgage Technology