(RALEIGH) -- More U.S. homes are entering the foreclosure process, and that number also applies to North Carolina. That's according to Daren Blomquist of the foreclosure listing firm RealtyTrac.

"In contrast to the national total that was down, we're already seeing signs in North Carolina that the numbers are ramping up," said Blomquist. "We saw an 8 percent increase in foreclosure activity from the previous quarter and the numbers were up 6 percent from a year ago."

In North Carolina, nearly 3,700 properties are now at some stage in the foreclosure process. This is a jump from 2,992 in February and 2,541 in January.