Foreclosure Petitions Jump in Easton

The town of Easton saw a jump in its number of started foreclosures and a fall in completed foreclosures in October, according to data released Tuesday.

The data, compiled by real estate information firm The Warren Group, showed that the number of foreclosure petitions (which represent newly started foreclosures) climbed from two in October 2010 to six last month.

Foreclosure deeds, or completed foreclosures, fell from five to zero.

The number reflects activity statewide. Massachusetts saw petitions increase by 5.9 percent for the month (from 1,193 last year to 1,127 last month). Deeds went up 35.7 percent, from 557 to 756.

Warren Group CEO Timothy Warren said in a statement that the increase may indicate that the foreclosure crisis is closer to an end.

"A rise in foreclosures is troubling for distressed homeowners, but in this case, it's a positive signal that the backlog of foreclosures on the banks' books is working through the system," he said. "The real estate market cannot fully recover until foreclosures have been dealt with one way or another."

Here are the foreclosure statistics for area towns:

• Dover had no foreclosure petitions filed in either October 2010 or October 2011. Three deeds were filed in both months.
• Foxborough's foreclosure petitions jumped from two last year to four last months, and deeds increased from zero to two.
• In Mansfield, petitions went up from three to eight year-over-year, and deeds climbed from zero to one.
• Medfield's October petitions and deeds were steady at zero.
• Norfolk August foreclosure petitions and deeds were steady at one year-over-year.
• Norton foreclosure petitions fell from five in October 2010 to two last month, while deeds went up from one to two.
• Norwood's October petitions climbed from two to five year-over-year, but deeds fell from three to two.
• Plainville had its foreclosure petitions fall from three to zero, but deeds increased from zero to two.
• Sharon saw its foreclosure petitions fall from one last October to zero last month, but deeds increased from zero to one.
• Stoughton's foreclosure petitions fell sharply, from nine to two year-over-year, while deeds were steady at one.