By Miriam Raftery

February 14, 2013 (San Diego) – Just in time for Valentine’s Day, here’s some news homeowners will love.  In California, foreclosure filings plunged 39.5% from December to January – the first time since early 2007 that California did not have the highest foreclosure rates in the nation. Nationally, foreclosures have fallen too, though far less steeply: 11% from December to January, and 28.5% from a year ago.

What’s fueling the sudden change?  According to Mortgage Daily News, the state and national shifts are due to California’s new Homeowners Bill of Rights, passed by the Legislature at the request of California Attorney General Kamala Harris (in photo, left, with Governor Jerry Brown).