HousingLink, a Minnesota non-profit housing group, said that there were 2,972 foreclosures in statewide during the third quarter, down 33 percent from the same quarter last year.

This was the first quarter during which the number of sheriff's sales fell to less than 3,000 since 2006, and it was the fifth consecutive quarter of year-over-year declines.

All of this is great news for the broader housing recovery, but an alarming number of homeowners are still struggling. Foreclosure levels are still nearly twice that of pre-crisis levels.

Here's a link to the full report, and to information about how to get help, if you're having trouble paying your mortgage.

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