Broward foreclosures double

South Florida foreclosure rates continue to soar, according to industry trackers, who say the region is among those hit hardest by the national housing crisis. In July, 2,865 Broward County homeowners faced foreclosure, double the total of 1,430 a year ago, according to Foreclosuresdaily.com, a research firm based near Tampa. The number of foreclosure sales there swelled to 1,648 from 381. In Palm Beach County, 1,739 homeowners faced foreclosure, up from 1,063 last July. Foreclosure sales more than doubled to 412 from 183. The Florida Association of Realtors reported sales of existing homes in Palm Beach and Broward counties dropped 3 percent and 8 percent, respectively, from a year ago.