It is often hard to face the threat of foreclosure, especially for those who have lived in their home for many years. Right now, according to a report by the Mortgage Bankers Association, Florida has about one-fourth of the nation's foreclosures. That is up a percentage point from the end of 2010, while other states, such as California, have dropped in foreclosures.

Professionals blame Florida's judicial foreclosure procedure for the high numbers. In Florida, each foreclosure case has to be approved by a judge. Across the nation, 29 states do not have this requirement.

In some Florida cities, there is a growing backlog of foreclosure cases. Tallahassee has an estimated 368,000 cases on the waiting list. While homeowners are fighting for their homes, they are also fighting for their rights. A newly proposed bill that would decrease a bank's deadline to seek deficiency judgment from five years to two years is slowly passing through House. Those against the bill fear it will reduce rights for homeowners.

Right now about 14 percent of home loans in Florida are in foreclosure. New Jersey follows with 8.2 percent. Interestingly, of the 16 states with the highest percentages of foreclosures, all but one require a judge to sign off on a proceeding.

On the plus side, the Mortgage Bankers Association reported that the percentage of homeowners who missed payments but were not yet in foreclosure has dropped slightly from the last quarter and has come a long way since 2009.

Losing a home to foreclosure can be a devastating circumstance, but there are steps homeowners can take to protect their home. Bankruptcy is sometimes an option, as it stops foreclosure proceedings immediately, even if a creditor has a judgment against you and plans to sell your house.

Source: TCPALM, "Florida has one-fourth of nation's foreclosures," Kimberly Miller, Feb. 17, 2012