The most recent data on the National Association of Realtors (NAR) web site indicates that the rate of foreclosure in Western New York is 1.6% of all outstanding home loans, whereas nationally the current rate is 2.73%.? Realty Trac, a national, web-based information clearing house, issued ominous warnings this week about an expected upswing in foreclosures in 2011 especially in the hardest hit areas. Realty Trac pointed out that 51% of all current foreclosures are in 5 states, Florida, California, Arizona, Illinois and Michigan.? A pertinent side note is that values have plummeted so drastically in Michigan that NAR removes that state when reporting national data to better represent what is happening throughout the country.