A busy December put Plymouth County over 10,000 sales transactions for 2020. Plymouth County saw the number of refinances rise dramatically during the year, while the number of foreclosure sales slowed throughout the county. Plymouth County Register of Deeds John R. Buckley Jr. described the year‘s real estate activity as “one that exceeded all predictions.”
“We have been able to remain open for business despite the pandemic, but we have had to alter the way we do business,” noted Buckley. “We are closed to the public and have been since March. Recordings can be dropped off at a designated location in our Plymouth, Rockland and Brockton buildings, or they can be recorded on–line or sent by mail.”
Electronic recordings for recorded land are the highest ever, coming in around 80 percent, compared to the more normal 40–50 percentage rate.
Plymouth County recorded 10,694 deeds in 2020, up 3 percent from the 10,424 deeds recorded in 2019. Recordings averaged over 1,100 a month for the last three months of the year, a time that historically recordings slow down. Considering the physical limitations in place due to COVID-19, these numbers are impressive. In addition, staff recorded 148,766 recordings in 2020, compared to 130,401 recorded in 2019, representing a 13 percent increase.
With historic low interest rates, the registry in 2020 recorded 46 percent more mortgages than were recorded in 2019. Plymouth County recorded 34,094 mortgages in 2020, compared to 23,332 mortgages recorded in 2019. December recordings were the highest of the year coming in at 3,517.
The number of foreclosure deeds recorded in 2020, were significantly less than the number of foreclosure deeds recorded in 2019, in large part due to the federal and state moratoriums on foreclosures. A total of 163 foreclosures were recorded in 2020 and 318 foreclosures were recorded in 2019. There were 250 notices to foreclose, the first step in the foreclosure process were recorded in 2020, compared to 725 foreclosure notices recorded in 2019. This represents a 66 percent decrease. Like foreclosures the notices were stayed during the federal and state moratoriums., Buckley said.
