Foreclosure filings on houses in Westchester County surged to their highest point since the housing crash of 2008, with nearly 1,500 foreclosures reported in the first half of 2013.

The Westchester County Clerk’s office reported 1,426 foreclosure actions started between Jan. 1 and June 30 of this year, as compared with 824 during the same period last year.

The number of foreclosures surpassed the number at the height of the 2008 housing crisis, when first half numbers reached 1,410 foreclosures.

Foreclosure numbers had been trending in a positive direction, with only 824 foreclosures reported in the first half of 2012. That was the lowest amount of foreclosures since 2006.

The negative foreclosure numbers come on the heels of national news that housing prices have increased 12.2-percent since last year.

Westchester County Clerk Timothy C. Idoni cautioned Westchester residents facing foreclosure in a statement to be wary of foreclosure schemes.

He recommended contacting Westchester Residential Opportunities (WRO), a non-profit housing agency with offices in White Plains and Mount Vernon to get information on foreclosures.

Westchester Foreclosure Filings Surge In First Half Of 2013 | The Armonk Daily Voice.