Foreclosure filings went up in the Roanoke Valley last month at a time when the national numbers were lower. But as News/Talk 960’s Evan Jones reports, that doesn’t mean things are worse around here.

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RealtyTrac follows foreclosure filings across the country and says the recent month-to-month national slowdown is mostly the result of banks taking more time to initiate the foreclosure process. Spokesman Daren Blomquist says our region and state are simply among the first areas where that backlog is now breaking. Even with the recent uptick, the local foreclosure rate is well below the state and national averages.