The number U.S. home foreclosure filings nearly doubled in October from the previous-year period, Bloomberg reported.

According to data compiled by RealtyTrac Inc. the number of default notices, auction notices and bank repossessions totaled 224,451 last month, a 94 percent increase from October 2006 and 2 percent increase from September. California had the most filings with 50,401, followed by Florida with 30,190. Nevada had the highest rate, with one filing for every 154 households, more than triple the national average.

In other housing news, new homes were purchased at an annual rate of 728,000 last month, up from a revised 716,000 pace in September, which was the lowest pace in 12 years. The median price of a new homes dropped 13 percent to $217,800 from October 2006, the biggest decline in four decades.

Existing home sales also fell in October to the lowest level in eight years, while the supply of unsold homes rose to 10.8 months at the current sales pace, also a record since the National Association of Realtors began keeping track in 1999. Existing home sales account for about 85 percent of total home sales.