In February, 49 state attorneys general and five of the nation’s largest lenders reached a $25 billion settlement intended to provide financial relief to more than one million current and former homeowners struggling to pay their mortgages. However, the deal also created new guidelines that could make it easier for lenders to issue more foreclosure notices – potentially bringing a new spike in such actions, noted Daren Blomquist, vice president of RealtyTrac, which tracks foreclosure data.