The nation experienced 158,000 foreclosures in March, 25 percent more than in February, according to data compiled by Bargain Network. During the first quarter of 2007, 414,000 foreclosures were filed, up 20 percent from the fourth quarter of 2006. Iowa ranked 35th among the states for foreclosures as a percentage of households with 442 foreclosures in March, a 6 percent increase from the previous month.

California fared the worst with more than 32,500 homes entering some phase of the foreclosure process, or one foreclosure for every 373 households. Florida, Colorado and Illinois followed, and Colorado’s foreclosure rate was the highest, with an estimated one foreclosure filing for every 161 households. The four states with the most foreclosures accounted for more than half of all the foreclosure activity for March and the entire quarter.

A few states recorded a decrease in foreclosure activity, including Louisiana, where foreclosures declined by about 43 percent. Eighty-one percent of the foreclosure activity occurred in the single-family residence market.