Lee County Foreclosures Are Rising, but the Numbers Need Context
Mortgage foreclosure filings are increasing in Lee County. That deserves attention, but it does not mean Southwest Florida is experiencing another 2008.
SWFL REIA reviewed every Lis Pendens recorded in Lee County during June and July 2026 and separated mortgage foreclosure cases from association foreclosures, construction liens, property disputes and other lawsuits involving real estate.
That distinction matters because every mortgage foreclosure generally includes a Lis Pendens, but not every Lis Pendens is a mortgage foreclosure.
June and July 2026
Lee County recorded 289 total Lis Pendens notices in June. After reviewing and culling the data, 164 were identified as mortgage foreclosure cases.
In July, the Clerk recorded 318 total Lis Pendens notices. Only 160 were mortgage related, representing 158 separate foreclosure cases. One case involved three properties.
| Measure | June 2026 | July 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Total Lis Pendens recordings | 289 | 318 |
| Mortgage foreclosure recordings | 164 | 160 |
| Distinct mortgage foreclosure cases | 164 | 158 |
| Nonmortgage recordings | 125 | 158 |
| Mortgage share of total filings | 56.7% | 50.3% |
The Long Term View
The complete historical chart shows how exceptional the 2007 through 2010 foreclosure cycle really was. Even after the recent increase, current filings remain near the bottom of the long term range. This perspective is important because a large percentage increase from a low baseline does not automatically indicate another 2008.
Mortgage Related Lis Pendens Since 2015
The period since 2015 shows several distinct cycles, including declining filings before the pandemic, the near shutdown of foreclosure activity in 2020 and the sharp increase beginning in 2025. June 2026 reached 164 filings and July recorded 160. Current activity is above most of the 2015 through 2019 period, making the increase meaningful even though it remains far below crisis levels.
Mortgage Related Lis Pendens Since 2020
This chart highlights the sustained upward movement from the artificially low pandemic period. Mortgage filings rose substantially during 2025 and remained elevated through the first seven months of 2026. The trend line confirms increasing foreclosure activity, but the pandemic court shutdown makes the starting baseline unusually low and magnifies the percentage increase.
Current Market Compared with the Great Financial Crisis
This chart overlays the current foreclosure trend with the Great Financial Crisis trend to show the enormous difference in scale. Current filings have increased, but July 2026’s 160 mortgage related filings are only about 6 percent of the October 2008 peak of 2,665. The current market is experiencing rising distress, but nothing close to the volume seen during the foreclosure crisis.
Total Lis Pendens activity increased 10 percent from June to July, but mortgage foreclosure activity did not.
Mortgage recordings declined from 164 to 160. Distinct mortgage cases declined from 164 to 158. The increase in July came entirely from nonmortgage matters.
This is why reporting every Lis Pendens as a foreclosure can create a misleading picture of local housing distress.
Foreclosures Are Still Rising Year Over Year
Although mortgage filings declined slightly between June and July, they remain substantially higher than last year.
June filings increased from 78 in 2025 to 164 in 2026, an increase of 110.3 percent.
July filings increased from 101 in 2025 to 160 in 2026, an increase of 58.4 percent.
During the first seven months of 2025, Lee County recorded 478 mortgage foreclosure filings. During the same period in 2026, the county recorded 1,010.
That is an increase of 532 cases, or 111.3 percent.
The trailing twelve month comparison is equally significant. Lee County recorded 723 mortgage foreclosures from August 2024 through July 2025. That increased to 1,633 from August 2025 through July 2026, a rise of approximately 126 percent.
The trend is real. Mortgage distress is increasing.
This Is Not 2008
Large percentage increases make dramatic headlines, especially when the starting point was historically low.
Lee County reached a monthly peak of 2,665 mortgage foreclosure filings in October 2008. July 2026 had 160.
Current filings are approximately 6 percent of the Great Financial Crisis peak and remain about 94 percent below that peak month.
During the first six months of 2008, Lee County averaged approximately 2,171 filings per month. During the first seven months of 2026, the average was approximately 144 per month.
Today’s pace is only about 6.6 percent of the pace experienced during that portion of 2008.
The current market is showing increasing distress, but the scale is not remotely comparable to the foreclosure crisis.
The Pandemic Baseline Also Matters
Foreclosure filings nearly stopped when courts and foreclosure processes were disrupted during the pandemic.
Lee County recorded only seven mortgage foreclosure filings in April 2020, four in May, five in June and four in July.
Filings remained unusually low through much of 2020 and 2021. Any comparison beginning with that suppressed period will naturally produce enormous percentage increases as the legal system and servicing process return to more normal activity.
That does not mean the increase should be ignored. It means the baseline must be understood.
Who Is Filing?
The largest mortgage foreclosure plaintiffs in June included:
- Lakeview Loan Servicing with 20 cases
- Freedom Mortgage with 19
- Rocket Mortgage with 18
- PennyMac Loan Services with 14
- NewRez with 7
- Wilmington Savings Fund Society as trustee with 7
In July, the largest filers included:
- Lakeview Loan Servicing with 22 cases
- Freedom Mortgage with 17
- Rocket Mortgage with 12
- NewRez with 8
- CrossCountry Mortgage with 7
- PennyMac Loan Services with 7
- Wilmington Savings Fund Society as trustee with 7
Cape Coral and Lehigh Acres accounted for roughly half of the mortgage related recordings in both months.
What This Means for Southwest Florida Investors
The market is moving away from the exceptionally low foreclosure environment that followed the pandemic.
Investors should expect more distressed property opportunities, but they should not expect an immediate return to the inventory levels or discounts available during the Great Financial Crisis.
A Lis Pendens is the beginning of a legal process, not a guarantee that a property will reach a foreclosure sale. Cases can be resolved through reinstatement, modification, repayment, bankruptcy, private sale or other negotiated outcomes.
Investors also need to distinguish between mortgage foreclosure cases and other types of Lis Pendens. Association foreclosures, construction liens, partition actions and title disputes can involve completely different legal issues, timelines and opportunities.
The correct conclusion is not that Lee County is crashing.
The correct conclusion is that mortgage distress is increasing rapidly from a low baseline, while remaining far below crisis levels.
That is a trend worth monitoring without exaggerating it.
SWFL REIA tracks local foreclosure filings, property data and market conditions to help investors understand what is actually happening in Southwest Florida. Join us at SWFLREIA.com to connect with local investors, lenders, attorneys, contractors and real estate professionals.
The goal is not to predict catastrophe.
The goal is to identify where pressure is building before opportunities become obvious to everyone else.
The investors who consistently outperform are rarely the ones reacting to headlines. They are the ones following the data.
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