Ontario County, NY, Records 77 Active Pre-Foreclosures Over Past 12 Months
The upstate New York county shows a pipeline heavily weighted toward later-stage filings, signaling potential distressed inventory for investors.
Ontario County, New York, recorded 77 active pre-foreclosures over the past 12 months, positioning it as a moderate contributor to the state's overall distressed housing landscape. This figure represents 0.4% of New York's total 21,279 active pre-foreclosures during the same period, according to BatchData's Active Pre-Foreclosures Report. While the county ranks #40 among New York's 61 counties, its specific pre-foreclosure pipeline characteristics offer distinct insights for real estate investing strategies.
County Overview
Understanding the composition of these active pre-foreclosures provides crucial context for investors monitoring potential distressed assets. Of the 77 active pre-foreclosures in Ontario County, 78 individual parcels are affected, indicating a near one-to-one correspondence between filings and properties. The pipeline distribution reveals a significant concentration in later stages of the process. An overwhelming 69 properties, representing 89.6% of the county's total, are under a Notice of Lis Pendens. This stage signifies that a lawsuit has been filed, formally initiating the foreclosure process and moving properties well past the initial default notice.
Following the Notice of Lis Pendens, 6 properties, or 7.8%, are under a Notice of Sale, placing them even closer to a potential auction. A smaller number, 2 properties or 2.6%, are currently in the earliest stage, a Notice of Default. This later-stage heavy pipeline in Ontario County suggests that most properties already have established legal proceedings, implying a shorter runway to potential distressed inventory for investors compared to a pipeline dominated by early-stage defaults.
The dominance of the Notice of Lis Pendens stage suggests that properties in Ontario County's pre-foreclosure pipeline are often already engaged in formal legal action, signaling a higher likelihood of moving towards a completed foreclosure if not resolved. This differs from a market where initial Notices of Default form the bulk of filings, which might resolve more frequently. For those leveraging pre-foreclosure data, this breakdown helps in identifying properties that are further along in the distress cycle, potentially offering more immediate opportunities for intervention or acquisition.
Local Market Context
Further analysis of Ontario County's active pre-foreclosures by property type highlights a strong residential focus, which aligns with typical market trends in many U.S. counties. Residential properties account for 76 of the 77 active pre-foreclosures, making up 98.7% of the total. In contrast, commercial properties represent a much smaller segment, with just 1 filing, or 1.3%. This single commercial property is identified specifically as a Community Shopping Center, Plaza or Mini-Mall, representing a unique, albeit small, distressed asset in the county.
Within the residential category, single family homes constitute the largest share, with 67 properties, or 87.0% of all active pre-foreclosures in Ontario County. This concentration provides a clear target for real estate investors focused on individual housing units. Beyond single-family residences, other residential property types contribute smaller but notable figures. Rural/Agricultural Residences account for 4 properties (5.2%), reflecting the county's mix of suburban and rural characteristics. Apartments represent 3 properties (3.9%), indicating some multi-family distress. Townhouses and Duplexes each have 1 active pre-foreclosure, both at 1.3% of the total. This diverse, yet predominantly single-family, residential pipeline mirrors broader housing market dynamics where individual homeowners face financial challenges, feeding the pre-foreclosure data stream.
The specific mix of property types in Ontario County, dominated by single-family residential units, offers distinct opportunities and risks for different investor profiles. Institutional investors or those seeking scale might find the overall volume of 77 active pre-foreclosures to be modest compared to larger metropolitan areas. However, for small landlords and local investors, the concentration of single-family homes, many already in advanced stages like Notice of Lis Pendens, could present targeted acquisition opportunities for future rental properties or fix-and-flip projects. The presence of a single commercial pre-foreclosure, a Community Shopping Center, Plaza or Mini-Mall, also points to a niche opportunity for investors with commercial real estate expertise, though it represents a very small portion of the overall distress.
Considering Ontario County's position at #40 out of 61 counties in New York, and holding 0.4% of the state's 21,279 total active pre-foreclosures, its market signals a localized level of distress rather than a widespread statewide crisis. The national total of 283,909 active pre-foreclosures over the past 12 months provides a broader context, against which Ontario County's 77 filings are a minimal fraction. For investors, understanding these micro-level dynamics, informed by detailed property data like this active pre-foreclosures report, is key to identifying specific targets rather than relying on broad market generalizations. The prevalence of residential properties in later pre-foreclosure stages suggests a market where proactive engagement could yield opportunities for acquiring distressed assets before they reach public auction.
