LowBaller Distress Index
US housing distress, measured daily
Live counts of motivated-seller properties across 46 US metros, compiled from county records: foreclosure filings, scheduled auctions, tax delinquency, vacancy and absentee ownership. Fixed 25 mile methodology per metro, so changes mean the market moved, not the measurement.
Motivated sellers tracked
19,820
Modeled estimates; live index collecting
In hard distress
Collecting
Forced-sale pressure only
Last measured
Starting
Snapshots run daily; series began July 13, 2026
Every metro, ranked by opportunity
Open a metro for its trend line, distress mix and the live ranked seller list.
Methodology, and how to cite
Every day we count residential properties carrying at least one motivation signal in county records, inside a fixed 25 mile radius of each metro's central ZIP. Hard distress counts forced-sale pressure only: pre-foreclosure or foreclosure filings, scheduled auctions, tax liens and vacancy. The broad count adds inherited properties and high-equity out-of-state absentee owners. Sold, pending and MLS-listed homes are excluded. The underlying records cover 160M+ US properties.
These numbers are free to cite with attribution to LowBaller and a link to lowballer.app/data. Journalists: for custom cuts (state rollups, YoY series, metro deep dives), contact press@lowballer.app.
About the index
What does the LowBaller Distress Index measure?
The daily number of residential properties showing motivated-seller signals in county records: foreclosure filings, scheduled auctions, tax delinquency, vacancy, inherited status and long-distance ownership. Each metro is measured inside a fixed 25 mile radius so day-to-day changes reflect the market, not the method.
How is hard distress different from the broad count?
Hard distress counts only forced-sale pressure: pre-foreclosure, foreclosure, scheduled auction, tax lien or vacancy. The broad count adds inherited properties and out-of-state absentee owners with high equity. Hard distress tracks urgency; the broad count tracks the full opportunity pool.
Can I cite these numbers?
Yes, with attribution to LowBaller (lowballer.app/data). Counts are compiled daily from county records covering 160M+ US properties using a fixed 25 mile methodology per metro. The index has been collected continuously since July 13, 2026.
Why do these counts matter for investors?
Motivated-seller supply moves before prices do. Rising hard-distress counts in a metro mean more owners with a documented reason to accept a below-market cash offer, less competition per lead, and better entry points months before the change shows up in closed-sale data.
The list behind the numbers is one scan away.
Every count above is a ranked list of real addresses with a suggested opening offer on each.
Scan your market free