Classes Of 2005 And 2006

Trouble in River City,:

DataQuick said 1,505 homeowners in Amador, El Dorado, Nevada, Placer, Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties lost their houses to foreclosure during January, February and March. That's up from 865 the previous three months.

DataQuick reported just 143 foreclosures in the eight-county region in the first quarter of 2006.

"A lot of these lenders are going to end up with an awful lot of properties," said Pam Canada, executive director of Sacramento-based NeighborWorks HomeOwnership Center, which counsels people with mortgage trouble.

"It's been difficult these past weeks particularly. There's more of a tone of desperation from people we're finding now. They have very few alternatives."

DataQuick attributed part of the record-breaking numbers to a greater supply of homes and loans in the Sacramento region since previous records were established during the recession-plagued mid-1990s. But the bigger factor is a combination of risky 2005 and 2006 loans and falling home prices that make it difficult for owners to refinance out of trouble. Even in a time when the economy continues to generate job growth, selling the house is becoming harder.