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Despite the economic fallout and job loss from the pandemic, the number of US properties with foreclosure filings in February was 11,281, down 77% from last year, according to ATTOM Data Solutions . This is likely thanks to the COVID-19 foreclosure moratorium for federally guaranteed mortgages, which has been extended to June 30, 2021. (Note: President Joe Biden’s executive order also extended the mortgage payment forbearance enrollment window to June 30, 2021.)

While foreclosures were down for the month compared to last year, they were up compared to the previous month: specifically, foreclosures in February were up 16% compared to January. Read on for the top 30 states with foreclosures in February 2021—plus top counties within those states.

States with the Highest Foreclosure Rates: 1 -10

The top 10 states are not located in any one region. That said, the South had five states in the top 10: Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina, and Georgia. The Northeast had none.

1. Utah

With a total 1,087,112 housing units, Utah’s foreclosure rate was 1 in every 3,883 homes in February. The 31st most populated state in the country, the state saw a total 280 foreclosure filings (default notices, scheduled auctions, and bank repossessions). The counties with the most foreclosures per housing unit were (in descending order): Utah, Ulintah, Beaver, Juab and Carbon.

2. Delaware

With a total 433,195 housing units, Delaware’s foreclosure rate was 1 in every 5,219 homes. Ranking 45th for population, the state had 83 foreclosure filings in February. The counties with the most foreclosures per housing unit were (in descending order): Kent, Sussex, and New Castle.

3. Florida

The third most populated state, Florida was also third for most foreclosures. Of its 9,448,159 homes, 1,516 went into foreclosure–making the state’s foreclosure rate 1 in every 6,232. The counties with the most foreclosures per housing unit were (in descending order): Highlands, Levy, Hendry, Madison and Taylor.

4. Illinois

With a total housing unit count of 5,360,315, Illinois had 846 homes go into foreclosure, resulting in the state’s foreclosure rate of 1 in every 6,336. The counties with the most foreclosures per housing unit were (in descending order): Power, Boundary, Fremont, Payette, and Bannock.

5. Louisiana

With the 25th largest population in the country, Louisiana’s foreclosure rate of 1 in every 7,923 homes put it in the number five spot. Of its total 2,059,918 housing units, 260 went into foreclosure. The counties with the most foreclosures per housing unit were (in descending order): Washington, West Baton Rouge, Caddo, Jackson, and Union.

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6. Indiana

With a total 2,886,548 housing units in the state, Indiana’s foreclosure rate was 1 in every 7,930 homes. Ranked the 17th most populated, the state ranked 6th for foreclosures with a total 364 filings. The counties with the most foreclosures per housing unit were (in descending order): Vermillion, Clinton, Jasper, Fountain, and Huntington.

7. Ohio

Just like Florida, Ohio’s population ranking (7th) matches its foreclosure rate ranking. With 1 in every 8,310 households going into foreclosure, the state had 626 homes of a total 5,202,304 go into foreclosure. The counties with the most foreclosures per housing unit were (in descending order): Lake, Fairfield, Trumbull, Marion, and Cuyahoga.

8. South Carolina

With 1 in every 8,565 homes going into foreclosure, South Carolina was a close eighth to Ohio. Ranked 23rd for population, South Carolina has 2,286,826 housing units and saw 267 foreclosure filings. The counties with the most foreclosures per housing unit were (in descending order): Mccormick, Allendale, Fairfield, Darlington, and Bamberg.

9. Wyoming

Though it’s the least populated state in the country, Wyoming ranks 9th for foreclosures with 1 in every 8,651 homes. Of its 276,846 homes, 32 homes were foreclosed on. The counties with the most foreclosures per housing unit were (in descending order): Weston, Carbon, Uinta, Campbell, and Lincoln.

10. Georgia

Eighth for most populated state, Georgia was tenth for most foreclosures. It has 4,283,477 housing units, of which 472 went into foreclosure—making the state’s foreclosure rate 1 in every 9,075 households. The counties with the most foreclosures per housing unit were (in descending order): Berrien, Baker, Terrell, Oglethorpe, and Candler.

States with the Highest Foreclosure Rates: 11 – 20

With the next group of states, the trend of the South (North Carolina, Missouri, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Mississippi) dominating foreclosure rates continues. The Northeast appears with Maine and New Jersey and the West Coast debuts with California.

11. Maine

Ranked as the 9th least populated state, Maine saw a total 81 foreclosures in February. With a total 742,788 housing units, its foreclosure rate was 1 in every 9,170 homes. The counties with the most foreclosures per housing unit were (in descending order): Oxford, Penobscot, Franklin, Waldo, and Somerset.

12. California

The most populated state is only 12th for foreclosures. Of its 14,175,976 homes, 1,427 went into foreclosure, making for a foreclosure rate of 1 in every 9,934 homes. The counties with the most foreclosures per housing unit were (in descending order): Calaveras, Sutter, Trinity, Kern, and Butte.

13. North Carolina

The 9th most populated state has 4,627,089 homes, of which 462 homes went into foreclosure. That makes the state’s foreclosure rate 1 in every 10,015 homes. The counties with the most foreclosures per housing unit were (in descending order): Hyde, Anson, Lenoir, Onslow, and Bertie.

14. Missouri

Of Missouri’s 2,790,397 housing units, 265 homes went into foreclosure in February. The 18th most populated state’s foreclosure rate is 1 in every 10,530 households. The counties with the most foreclosures per housing unit were (in descending order): Moniteau, Pike, Montgomery, Greene, and Adair.

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15. Iowa

The 30th most populated state, Iowa is 15th for most foreclosures. Of its 1,397,087 homes, 128 were foreclosed on. That puts the state’s foreclosure rate at 1 in every 10,915 households. The counties with the most foreclosures per housing unit were (in descending order): Guthrie, Wayne, Hamilton, Davis, and Adair.

16. Oklahoma

With 154 of its 1,731,632 homes going into foreclosure, Oklahoma’s foreclosure rate is 1 in every 11,244 households. In the 28th most populated state, the counties with the most foreclosures per housing unit were (in descending order): Roger Mills, Pawnee, Pontotoc, Muskogee, and Choctaw.

17. Alabama

Ranked 24th for most populated, Alabama was 17th for foreclosures. Of its 2,255,026 homes, 198 went into foreclosure, making for a foreclosure rate of 1 in every 11,389 homes. The counties with the most foreclosures per housing unit were (in descending order): Marshall, Jefferson, Coffee, Autauga, and Shelby.

18. New Jersey

New Jersey has a total of 3,616,614 housing units and 317 homes are in foreclosure. While it’s ranked 11th most populated state, its foreclosure rate of 1 in every 11,409 homes puts it in 18th place. The counties with the most foreclosures per housing unit were (in descending order): Salem, Atlantic, Sussex, Gloucester, and Cumberland.

19. Alaska

The third least populated state, Alaska has 314,670 homes, of which 26 went into foreclosure in February. That means its foreclosure rate is 1 in every 12,103 homes. The counties with the most foreclosures per housing unit were (in descending order): Matanuska-Susitna, Anchorage, Fairbanks North Star, Juneau, and Kenai Peninsula.

20. Mississippi

In the number 20 spot for most foreclosures,Mississippi ranks as 33rd for most populated–and has 1,322,808 homes. A total 107 went into foreclosure in February, making the state’s foreclosure rate 1 in every 12,363 households. The counties with the most foreclosures per housing unit were (in descending order): Scott, Simpson, Lawrence, Bolivar, and Pike.

States with the Highest Foreclosure Rates: 21 – 30

The remaining states (21 to 30) in our rankings of the highest foreclosure rates are mainly located in the Northeast: New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania. The Midwest and Southwest were tied with two states each: Wisconsin and Nebraska and Texas and Arizona.

21. Connecticut

With housing units totaling 1,516,629, Connecticut saw 116 homes go into foreclosure. That puts the 29th most populated state in 21st place, with a foreclosure rate of 1 in every 13,074 homes. The counties with the most foreclosures per housing unit were (in descending order): Windham, Litchfield, Tolland, Hartford, and Middlesex.

22. Arizona

Though ranked as the 14th most populated state, Arizona’s total 228 foreclosures (out of 3,003,286 total housing units) puts it in 22nd place for most foreclosures. The state’s foreclosure rate is 1 in every 13,172 households. The counties with the most foreclosures per housing unit were (in descending order): Apache, Mohave, Pima, Santa Cruz, and Pinal.

23. Pennsylvania

With a total 5,693,314 housing units, Pennsylvania saw 421 homes go into foreclosure. That puts the foreclosure rate for the 5th most populated state at 1 in every 13,523 households. The counties with the most foreclosures per housing unit were (in descending order): Philadelphia, Lycoming, Cambria, Luzerne, and Wyoming.

24. Maryland

The 19th most populated state ranks 24th for foreclosures. Of its 2,448,422 housing units, 170 went into foreclosure, making for a foreclosure rate of 1 in every 14,402 homes. The counties with the most foreclosures per housing unit were (in descending order): Somerset, Allegany, Prince George’s County, Caroline, and Baltimore City.

25. Wisconsin

In Wisconsin, the 20th most populated state, there were 179 foreclosures (out of 2,694,527 housing units.) That puts its foreclosure rate at 1 in every 15,053 homes. The counties with the most foreclosures per housing unit were (in descending order): Florence, Ashland, Langlade, Vernon, and Grant.

26. Massachusetts

Ranked 15th for most populated, Massachusetts came in as 26th for foreclosures. With 2,897,259 housing units and 172 homes in foreclosure, the state’s foreclosure rate was 1 in every 16,845 households. The counties with the most foreclosures per housing unit were (in descending order): Hampden, Franklin, Berkshire, Worcester, and Barnstable.

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27. Texas

The second most populated state was 27th for foreclosures. Of 10,937,026 homes, 636 went into foreclosure, making for a foreclosure rate of 1 in every 17,197 households. The counties with the most foreclosures per housing unit were (in descending order): Liberty, Atascosa, Franklin, Mills, and Mcculloch.

28. New Hampshire

New Hampshire’s total number of foreclosures was only in the double digits: 35. But in a state with the 10th smallest population (and 634,726 housing units), that number put it in the 28th spot for foreclosures, making for a foreclosure rate of 1 in every 18,135 households. The counties with the most foreclosures per housing unit were (in descending order): Cheshire, Sullivan, Merrimack, Belknap, and Strafford.

29. Nebraska

With 46 of a total 837,476 housing units in foreclosure, Nebraska’s total number is also in the double digits. But with a foreclosure rate of 1 in every 18,206 households, the 14th least populated state holds 29th for foreclosures.. The counties with the most foreclosures per housing unit were (in descending order): Cuming, Nemaha, Red Willow, Scotts Bluff, and Antelope.

30. Virginia

Last but not least, Virginia saw 192 homes go into foreclosure in February. That nabbed the 12th most populated state the 30th spot on our list. With 3,514,032 total housing units, the state’s foreclosure rate was 1 in every 18,302 households. The counties with the most foreclosures per housing unit were (in descending order): Emporia City, Norton City, Nottoway, King William, and Lancaster.

The Takeaway

Of the top 20 states with the highest foreclosure rates, half were in the South: Delaware, Florida, Louisiana, South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, Missouri, Oklahoma, Alabama, and Mississippi. Of the top 30 states, Florida had the most number of foreclosures (1,516) and Alaska had the least (26).

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SOMN21027

Binance (BNB) is a cryptocurrency token that was created to be used as a medium of exchange on Binance, one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges.

Traders who hold BNB tokens get discounts when using BNB to pay for trading fees on Binance. As of 2020, BNB users received a 6.25% rebate on trading fees. Binance Coin also serves as the native token for Binance’s decentralized exchange (DEX).

What Is Binance?

Binance is one of the world’s biggest cryptocurrency exchanges. Based in Malta, the exchange was founded in 2017 and follows all standard cryptocurrency regulations. Binance offers a variety of features, including:

•  Crypto-to-crypto trading of many different currency pairs (over 150)
•  Fiat-to-crypto trading
•  The ability to buy crypto with a credit card
•  Futures and leveraged trading for advanced traders
•  The option to choose between a basic interface for beginners or an advanced interface for experienced traders

Binance has one the highest liquidity of any crypto exchange in the world, according to data from CoinMarketCap. That means more crypto can trade hands on the exchange than anywhere else during a given period of time, making Binance a desirable place for day traders who thrive on liquid assets, which makes it easier and faster to execute trades. The exchange also has low fees, so users can make more trades for less cost.

Binance derives its name from a combination of the words “finance” and “binary.” The exchange claims to have high levels of security and is capable of processing about 1.4 million orders each second.

Eleven days before Binance went live, BNB was created through an initial coin offering. While the coin was first issued as an ERC-20 token running on the Ethereum network, these same coins were later swapped with BEP2 BNB coins in April 2019 when the Binance Chain mainnet launched (Binance’s own blockchain network). BNB can be used as “gas” payments–fees paid for computing power–to fuel transactions on the DEX.

Is Binance Coin Worth Buying?

This question might not have a single, objective answer. It depends on the individual. Someone who wants to use Binance’s decentralized exchange (DEX) might think BNB crypto is worth buying. The Binance DEX first went live in April 2019.

Traders who make a lot of trades on Binance on a regular basis might benefit from the discounts that BNB provides. They could wind up saving them a lot of money.

And finally, some cryptocurrency traders might speculate, as opposed to invest, that BNB has a promising future. These people might see BNB as a good coin to hold for some time, in hopes that the price will continue to rise. BNB crypto has risen over 34,000% since inception and over 41,000% since its all-time low.

What is Binance Coin Used For?

As far as different types of cryptocurrencies go, Binance Coin might be one of the most unique. As mentioned, BNB serves two main purposes:

•  To provide discounts to traders who use BNB on Binance, and
•  To function as “gas” for transactions on Binance’s decentralized exchange (DEX).

When someone places a trade on Binance, they are charged a 0.5% trading fee. This fee can either be paid in the form of the cryptocurrency being traded at the time or in the form of Binance Coin. When paid using BNB, a discount is applied.

Beyond that, altcoins like Binance Coin are also used for speculative purposes. Traders buy coins at a low price with the hopes of selling them later at a higher price to make a profit.

How to Buy BNB

Binance Coin can be purchased on the Binance crypto exchange. There are three primary trading pairs:

•  BNB/USDT (Binance-Tether stablecoin)
•  BNB/BTC (Binance-Bitcoin)
•  BNB/BUSD (Binance-U.S. dollar)

While BNB crypto was created by and for Binance, traders can buy BNB tokens on other exchanges as well. As of the time of writing, BNB can be traded on dozens of different exchanges.

Users who already hold some Bitcoin might find it easiest to deposit Bitcoin to an exchange that trades the BNB/BTC pair and then trade their bitcoin for BNB. Those who don’t hold Bitcoin could consider creating an account on Binance and funding it using either a stablecoin like Tether or U.S. dollars directly.

Binance Coin Price

At the time of writing, the BNB price was $40.39 or 0.001076 Bitcoin.

In July 2017, when the coin was first created, the price was closer to $0.10, with the all-time low being $0.096. The all-time high, as of January 2021, was $45.16, reached on Jan. 10, 2021.

BNB is currently ranked as the eleventh largest cryptocurrency, according to CoinMarketCap data, with a market cap of over $5.7 billion. The 24-hour trading volume on Jan. 14, 2021 was $548.3 million.

BNB crypto has a circulating supply of 142,406,561 BNB and a maximum supply of 174,152,673 coins.

Is Binance Better Than Coinbase?

Some users might compare Binance to other prominent exchanges, including Coinbase. The comparison is, however, largely subjective. For those new to crypto seeking ease-of-use and simplicity, Coinbase might be a good option. They allow for purchases and sales of many of the top cryptocurrencies.

Coinbase also has a cold storage, multi-signature feature called “vaults.” Vaults provide a more secure way to hold crypto for the long-term. To access funds held in a vault, a user must verify a withdrawal request from two different email addresses and wait through a 48-hour processing period.

On the other hand, for more active traders seeking a wider variety of tokens to choose from and higher liquidity, Binance could be preferable. At Binance, investors and traders also have the option to use a more advanced interface with detailed charts.

Is Crypto Safe On Binance?

The answer to this question depends on an individual’s definition of “safe” and how much money is in question.

Generally speaking, it might be safe to keep small amounts of crypto on a secure exchange like Binance for a short period of time. Binance boasts some of the strongest security in the industry. For larger balances to be held over longer time-frames, however, holding coins on any exchange is widely regarded as not being very secure.

Over the years, many exchanges have been hacked. This creates the most obvious security risk involved with “hot wallets,” or cryptocurrency wallets that are actively online at all times. Another risk that comes from exchanges is theft. Employees of the company could conspire to steal user funds and blame the event on outside malicious actors.

The Takeaway

Binance (BNB) coins were created to be used on the Binance cryptocurrency exchange. BNB users on BNB can get trading discounts. However, BNB has become more popular in recent years, experiencing a tremendous increase in price, and now, cryptocurrency traders and investors can find it on many other exchanges.

With SoFi Invest®, investors can buy cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum and Litecoin, while following the prices of others like XRP and BNB. They can also invest in stocks or exchange-traded funds (ETFs).

Crypto: Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies aren’t endorsed or guaranteed by any government, are volatile, and involve a high degree of risk. Consumer protection and securities laws don’t regulate cryptocurrencies to the same degree as traditional brokerage and investment products. Research and knowledge are essential prerequisites before engaging with any cryptocurrency. US regulators, including FINRA , the SEC , and the CFPB , have issued public advisories concerning digital asset risk. Cryptocurrency purchases should not be made with funds drawn from financial products including student loans, personal loans, mortgage refinancing, savings, retirement funds or traditional investments. Limitations apply to trading certain crypto assets and may not be available to residents of all states.

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