Looking for eight bedrooms, 13 bathrooms and 23,000-square feet in Houston?

For a cool $6.3 million you may be able to take it off the bank’s hands since it repossessed a house fitting this description in April.

According to RealtyTrac, foreclosures on ultra-high-end homes — those with a value over $5 million — are up 61% over last year, defying the trend in the overall market that has seen foreclosure activity down 23% through October.

Panoramic ocean views, stunning architecture and landscaping — even putting greens — are some of the hallmarks of these luxury properties.

And although they account for a tiny part of the market — less than 200 total in 2013 so far — they can cost a foreclosing lender a sizable amount.

However, as Emmett Laffey, CEO of Laffey Fine Home International in New York City, said, “Any foreclosure properties in this kind of ultra-luxury market get purchased very quickly since there is one thing all super-rich buyers want — an outstanding deal on a real estate transaction, and in most cases foreclosures of this magnitude come with several million dollars of built-in value.”

According to RealtyTrac the top market for foreclosures in the $5 million-plus range is in the Miami/Fort Lauderdale area, followed by Los Angeles.

Rounding out the top five list are Atlanta, Ga.; Orlando, Fla.; and the New York City/Northern New Jersey area. Although Los Angeles made the top-five list, foreclosure activity in California as a whole is down compared to last year.

http://www.housingwire.com/articles/28215-ultra-high-end-foreclosures-up-61-in-2013