The number of foreclosure filings in Hawaii dropped in February, with half as many properties in some phase of the foreclosure process as a year ago, according to new data from RealtyTrac.

There were a total of 473 foreclosure filings — including notices of default, public auctions and bank repossessions — in Hawaii in February, or one for every 1,098 housing units.

That was 27 percent fewer than January and 50 percent fewer than February 2011, Irvine, Calif.-based RealtyTrac said.

Nationally, foreclosure filings in February declined 8 percent from the same month a year ago, but RealtyTrac said 21 states and the District of Columbia actually posted year-over-year increases. Nationally, one of every 637 housing units had a foreclosure filing during February, RealtyTrac said.

“February’s numbers point to a gradually rising foreclosure tide as some of the barriers that have been holding back foreclosures are removed,” RealtyTrac CEO Brandon Moore said in a statement. “Although national foreclosure activity was pushed lower by decreases in a handful of larger states, 21 states posted annual increases in foreclosure activity, the most states with annual increases since November 2010.”