July Orders of Notice: A cause for concern?

The number of Orders of Notice recorded in July 2012 was up 63% from the number recorded in July 2011.  Since the Order of Notice is the first step in the foreclosure process, this figure should be watched closely.  Hopefully it is a one-time blip and not the start of a trend.  Other indicators are good.  Deeds and mortgages are up and foreclosure deeds are down.

Here's the distribution of the July 2012 Orders of Notice by community:

Lowell - 34
Dracut - 14
Chelmsford - 11
Billerica - 8
Tewksbury - 6
Wilmington - 5
Carlisle - 2
Dunstable - 2
Tyngsborough - 2
Westford - 1