Foreclosure rates have now dropped in three counties in the Tampa Bay region and are slowing down in most others, but it's not a trend the rest of the country is seeing.

May was the third highest month of foreclosure activity on record, said RealtyTrac, up 18 percent from the year before.

Defaults and scheduled foreclosure auctions were down from April, but bank repossessions were up 2 percent and could continue to grow as foreclosure delays and moratoriums are lifted in various states, said James J. Saccacio, RealtyTrac's chief executive officer.

Hernando County posted the biggest decrease in the Tampa Bay region year-over-year, falling more than 14.5 percent with 475 homes in some state of foreclosure. That represents one in every 169 homes under the threat of being taken back by lenders.

Sarasota County was not far behind with just under a 7 percent drop affecting 1,072 homes, or one in every 206 households. Manatee County had a 2 percent drop since May 2008 that hit 590 homes, or one in 287 properties.

On the other end of the spectrum, Pasco County had the largest increase in foreclosures, jumping more than 62 percent to 1,500 properties. That represents one in every 145 homes in foreclosure, ninth worst in the state.

Despite falling more than 6 percent since April, Polk County was up nearly 53 percent over the past year as 1,572 homes were in foreclosure, representing one in every 177 homes. Pinellas County jumped 48 percent to 2,458 homes.

Hillsborough County climbed nearly 20 percent in foreclosure rates as lenders targeted 2,408 homes. However, rates were down well over 25 percent since April.

Florida had the third highest rate of foreclosure in the country affecting one in every 148 homes. It had the second highest number of foreclosures at just fewer than 59,000, a 50 percent jump from May 2008.

Three Florida metropolitan areas were ranked among the 10 worst foreclosure rates in the nation: Cape Coral-Fort Myers at No. 6 with one in 82 homes in foreclosure; Orlando-Kissimmee at No. 8 with one in 101 homes in foreclosure; and Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach at No. 10 with one in 105 homes in foreclosure.