November marked the fourth consecutive month with more than 300 foreclosure filings in Hawai'i, as many property owners continued to struggle with their mortgages in a weakening economy.

California-based real estate research firm RealtyTrac said there were 393 foreclosure filings in the Islands last month, more than triple the 113 in the same month last year.

The count followed 395 filings in October, 594 in September and 336 in August. Until August, when national and global financial markets came unglued, the average number of filings per month was 149.

Hawai'i's foreclosure rate, at one filing per 1,272 households, was worse than 22 other states, but significantly better than the national average of one filing per 488 households.

Nationally, there were 259,085 foreclosure filings last month, which was up 28 percent from a year ago.

Nevada had the worst foreclosure rate, at one filing per 76 households. There were 13,962 foreclosure actions in that state in November. The lowest rate was in West Virginia, where there were 34 foreclosure flings, or one for every 25,817 households.

Some observers question the accuracy of RealtyTrac's reports because the company includes commercial property in its count but doesn't collect data from some rural areas. For example, RealtyTrac in August included multiple foreclosure actions against the developer of a hotel-condominium on Kaua'i counted as housing units, though the company doesn't always report extraordinary factors that cause big swings in foreclosure filings.

In October, National Public Radio reported that RealtyTrac doesn't count any foreclosures in more than 900 rural counties across the nation, which inaccurately gives states with big rural populations lower rankings.

Despite the reservations, local observers say it's obvious that that foreclosures are rising as the Hawai'i economy slows and unemployment grows. With modest decreases in property values in many parts of the state and a slowdown in home sales, it's more difficult for owners to sell their homes if they have trouble making mortgage payments.

Meanwhile, job losses continue to mount. Most recently, Servco Pacific Inc. laid off 118 employees effective Nov. 17, and last week Hawaiian Dredging Construction Co. announced that it laid off about 70 workers.

Some states — but not Hawai'i — have passed laws that require delays to the foreclosure process, which has led to reduced filings. Some lenders have increased foreclosure moratoriums or programs to modify loans. But RealtyTrac CEO James Saccacio said that those moves may only delay foreclosures.

"There are several indications ... that this lower activity is simply a temporary lull before another foreclosure storm hits in the coming months," he said.

Saccacio cited statistics from the U.S. Office of Thrift Supervision showing that more than half of homeowners whose mortgage payments were reduced by loan amendments in the first half of this year are already delinquent on the modified loans.