In the first half of 2013, new foreclosure filings in a six county Chicago area have been trending downward, falling more than 36 percent compared to a year ago and reaching the lowest levels since the second half of 2007, according to a new report from the Woodstock Institute.

Read more on the data from the Woodstock Insitute for details but here are some highlights from the report:

• New foreclosure filings in the Chicago area fell to the lowest level since the second half of 2007.
• Completed foreclosure auctions continue at high levels.
• Foreclosure auctions are often concentrated in areas with high levels of long-term vacant homes.
• The percent of foreclosure auctions that became bank-owned fell slightly.