OCC Says 97.7% of Its Tracked Mortgages Performed, Yet Starts Rose

OCC's September 23 mortgage report covers about 18.8% of U.S. residential mortgage debt. It found 97.7% current and performing in Q2, while new foreclosures increased.

By James Park ·

The OCC's second-quarter mortgage report, released September 23, says 97.7% of mortgages in its federal-banking-system sample were current and performing at quarter-end, up from 97.5% a year earlier. At the same time, servicers initiated 7,904 foreclosures during the quarter, up from both the previous quarter and a year earlier. Both statements can be true: they describe different measures and different denominators.

The agency also counted 7,349 completed loan modifications in the quarter, a 16.5% increase over the prior quarter's 6,308. Most modifications combined several changes intended to improve affordability and sustainability. The report includes about 10.1 million first-lien loans, representing roughly 18.8% of U.S. residential mortgage debt, through June 30, 2026. It is not a survey of every mortgage or a forecast of what one borrower's lender will do.

If you are struggling to pay, contact the servicer early and ask which loss-mitigation options apply to your loan. HUD lists free housing-counseling help for homeowners at risk of foreclosure. The separate ICE August delinquency figures cover a later month and a different data pool; do not compare the two percentages as if they measure the same set of mortgages.

Original sources

Related Financialist guides

About the writer

James Park · Business & Finance Desk

James tracks business litigation and intellectual property disputes. His beat covers SEC enforcement, antitrust actions, bankruptcy proceedings, and corporate governance cases.

LAWS.com author profile

News is not personalized legal or financial advice.