(Editor's note: The legal notice section of the News-Bulletin recently carried 41 foreclosure or foreclosure sale notices on one day. This article, the first in a two-part series, looks at what's behind the foreclosure rate and factors that influence it. A sidebar looks at steps homeowners can take to deal with the prospect of foreclosure. On Saturday, Part 2 in the series examines personal bankruptcy, which often goes hand-in-hand with foreclosure.)