TAMPA - The Tampa Bay metro area saw a decrease in foreclosure activity during the third quarter, even as other Florida cities continued to show increases, according to data released Thursday by California-based RealtyTrac.

The area, which includes Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco and Hernando counties, had 17,012 foreclosure filings in the third quarter. That's a decrease of 6 percent from the previous quarter and down 5 percent from the same quarter in 2008.

"This does stick out to me," said Daren Blomquist, spokesman for RealtyTrac. "It's a little rare to see that kind of decrease. The trend nationwide and in Florida is still to see increases in foreclosures."

The only Florida metro area to see a larger annual decrease was Sarasota, which saw foreclosure filings fall by 7 percent.

Statewide, Florida saw 156,924 filings - including default notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions - in the third quarter. Florida ranked fourth behind Nevada, Arizona and California among states with the most foreclosure activity. Florida's activity decreased by less than 1 percent from the previous quarter but still jumped 23 percent compared with the same quarter of 2008. That means 1 in 56 households received a filing.

In the Tampa Bay area, 1 in 77 households received a filing, still much higher than the nation's foreclosure rate of 1 in 136.

Reporter Shannon Behnken can be reached at (813) 259-7804.