IRVINE, Calif. -- Colorado is listed No. 5 in the nation for foreclosure activity in the first quarter of 2008, according to a report from Irvine-based RealtyTrac.

The state's foreclosure activity increased 33 percent from the previous quarter and was up by 78 percent over the same quarter in 2007, the report said. Foreclosure filings -- which include default notices, auction sale notices and bank repossessions -- were reported on 18,996 Colorado properties during the quarter, or one in every 110 households.

Nationally, there were 649,917 properties in foreclosure activity during the quarter, a 23 percent increase over the prior quarter and a 112 percent increase over the first quarter one year ago.

"Foreclosure activity in the first quarter increased on a year-to-year basis in 46 out of the 50 states and in 90 of the nation's largest metro areas, demonstrating that most regions of the country are seeing more foreclosures," said James Saccacio, RealyTrac CEO.

Saccacio said RealtyTrac has recorded seven consecutive quarters of increasing foreclosure activity. Nevada, California, Arizona and Florida were the only states with higher foreclosure activity in the first quarter of 2008 than Colorado.

While there were no Colorado cities in the top 10 metro areas for foreclosure activity, the Denver-Aurora metro area placed No. 11.