The U.S. has been plagued with a foreclosure crisis for some time, but signs are surfacing that this period in the country’s history will soon be over for the time being.

A foreclosure is a shell term that includes default notices, auctions, and bank repossessions – all of these declined by 15% in November 2013. The total number of foreclosures for this month reached 113,454 properties. Total filings saw a 37% decline from 2012.

With the economy’s health improving steadily, and the FHA’s recent announcement of a shift in strategy to aid more homeowners in obtaining affordable mortgages, homeowners are now more optimistic. This renewed optimism is quelling foreclosures, partly because home prices are on the rise and owners are decided to keep their homes for the long run. Currently, markets where foreclosures are still relatively high include Florida, Delaware, Maryland, and South Carolina.

Source: http://money.cnn.com/2013/12/12/real_estate/foreclosure-low/index.html