Dive Brief:

• More homeowners were past due on their mortgage payments in August than in July, but fewer were delinquent this year than in August 2013. Black Knight Financial Services reported Thursday that the increase in delinquencies was due mostly to loans that were 30 days overdue.

• At the same time, the percentage of loans in foreclosure declined in August to the lowest level since March 2008. The average loan in foreclosure is 1,010 days past due.

• In addition, fewer homeowners prepaid their mortgages in August after that number had increased every month since March.

Dive Insight:

It’s not unusual for delinquencies to increase in September, so it’s possible the spike simply came a month early this year.