A 6.9 percent jump in Pittsburgh area foreclosures during the first quarter of this year provides a worrisome snapshot of the growing number of local households that are in financial distress.

The five-county area that includes Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Washington and Westmoreland counties saw a combined 1,187 homes lost to foreclosure in the first quarter of 2008.

It was the second highest number of foreclosures in the area since 2000, according to RealSTATs, a company that tracks real estate transactions in the Pittsburgh area.

"The numbers speak for themselves," said Daniel Murrer, vice president of RealSTATs. "There's no way to sugarcoat it. It is what it is."

Allegheny County saw the greatest number of foreclosures during the first quarter with 681. Beaver County had 157 foreclosures, Westmoreland County had 212, Butler County had 51 and Washington County saw 86 home losses.

"Yes, we are experiencing an increase in foreclosures in our areas, but I don't think we are looking at what other areas of the country are experiencing," said Anthony Mete, president of the Realtors Association of Metropolitan Pittsburgh.

Robert Dye, senior economist for PNC Financial Services Group, Downtown, said the ripple effects of the foreclosure crisis clearly have reached Pittsburgh.

"This issue is especially troublesome in areas that have highly speculative markets such as Florida, Southern California and Las Vegas," Mr. Dye said. "But Pittsburgh has had a much more stable real estate market so I'd expect to see fewer problems here. But we will not be immune to the foreclosure flu.

"We're also starting to see increases in personal bankruptcy filings. That is consistent with the increased number of foreclosures we are seeing."

John Sozansky, former president of the Metropolitan Pittsburgh Chapter of the Appraisal Institute, said the rising foreclosures are due to a combination of factors including aggressive loan companies writing low equity loans and families extending themselves beyond their ability to pay.

"It was very profitable to write these mortgages," Mr. Sozansky said. "There was no downside at that time for loan officers and mortgage brokers. Now mortgage companies and banks are experiencing large losses."