The number of vacant U.S. homes climbed 7.8 percent from last year, hitting an all-time high of 17.9 million in the third quarter in part due to increases of foreclosures, Bloomberg reported.

Last year, 16.6 million properties sat uninhabited, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report. The report also estimated that 2.07 million of the vacant homes were for sale, rising from 1.94 million homes last year.

The Mortgage Bankers Association said foreclosures have risen to a record, led by defaults on adjustable-rate loans to people with little or poor credit history. Homeowners who fall behind in mortgage payments find it difficult to sell or refinance because of the decrease in home prices and tightening lending standards.

The second quarter set a 35-year record; lenders started seizing properties on 0.65 percent of U.S. mortgages, the Mortgage Bankers Association said in a Sept. 6 report. The percentage of subprime borrowers who made late payments climbed to a five-year high, from 13.77 percent to 14.82 percent.