CHICAGO (MarketWatch) -- You would like so desperately for our housing woes to end that you want to believe the latest numbers on mortgage delinquencies and foreclosures signal a turnaround in the fortunes of American homeowners. But the numbers just don't ring true.

The Mortgage Bankers Association on Friday said the delinquency rate for loans on one- to four-unit properties in the U.S. fell to 9.47% in the fourth quarter from 9.64% in the third quarter, a sign the group said that the mortgage crisis is easing. The percentage of homeowners entering the foreclosure process also fell from the third quarter. Read more on mortgage foreclosures and delinquencies.