In yet another sign of recovery in the housing market, August foreclosure starts were 44 percent lower than one year ago and are now at their lowest level since December 2005. A total of 55,775 properties began the foreclosure process during the month, according to RealtyTrac’s most recent U.S. Foreclosure Market Report. The drop drove total foreclosure activity down 2 percent from the month before and 34 percent below August 2012. Despite the improvement, some areas of the country saw increases. Daren Blomquist, vice president of RealtyTrac, said foreclosure flash floods will continue to hit some markets over the next few months as delayed foreclosure starts are quickly pushed into the pipeline. More here.