PITTSBURGH - Washington County saw home foreclosures increase in February, according to a reading from an area real estate tracking company.

A total of 400 homes in Southwestern Pennsylvania were lost to foreclosures in February, a 19 percent increase over February 2007, according to a press release issued Thursday from RealStats.

The company, which provided the report for a five-county area that also included Allegheny, Beaver, Butler and Westmoreland counties, noted that Washington County had 44 homes go into foreclosure in February, up 63 percent from 27 homes in February of a year ago.

RealStats said two counties saw a decline in February foreclosures. Beaver County, with 31 foreclosures last month, fell 34 percent from February 2007, when 47 homes were given up. Westmoreland County, which recorded 79 foreclosures last month, declined 9.2 percent from the 87 homes that were foreclosed upon in February 2007.

Allegheny County saw 222 home foreclosures, up 55 compared to the previous February, while Butler County had an additional 17 from the 24 recorded for February of 2007.

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