A look at data on US homes that were in foreclosure or repossessed by banks in 2014

Foreclosures last year fell to their lowest level since before the housing bust. Rising home prices and a healthier U.S. economy helped push down the number of homes repossessed by banks in 2014.

Here are key facts about the foreclosures the U.S:

COMPLETED FORECLOSURES

— In 2014, banks repossessed 327,069 homes, down 29 per cent from 462,970 the previous year.

— Completed foreclosures declined 69 per cent from their peak of 1.05 million in 2010.

STATES WHERE FORECLOSURES ROSE:

— Maryland (58 per cent)

— New York (40 per cent)

— Oregon (38 per cent)

— Maine (35 per cent)

— New Jersey (34 per cent)

— Alaska (28 per cent)

— Connecticut (11 per cent)

— Hawaii (8 per cent)

— Iowa (5 per cent)

BANK-OWNED HOMES YET TO BE SOLD:

— As of Dec. 31, banks held some 421,164 unsold homes, down 17 per cent from the year before.

HOMES IN FORECLOSURE:

— As of Dec. 31, 642,927 homes were in some stage of the foreclosure process. That’s down 11 per cent from the year before.

HOME EQUITY:

— In the 12 months ended Sept. 30, nearly 1.5 million homes returned to positive equity, which means the home is valued at more than what the owner owes on the mortgage.

— In the same period, some 5.1 million homes, or 10.3 per cent of all homes with a mortgage, remained in negative equity. That’s when the value of a home falls below what is owed on the mortgage.

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Source: RealtyTrac, CoreLogic.