Mortgage delinquencies declined overall during the fourth quarter of last year, although new foreclosure activity increased, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association of America. The overall, seasonally adjusted delinquency rate for mortgages on one- to four-family residences dropped to 4.53 percent in the fourth quarter, from 4.66 percent in the third quarter of 2002. In the fourth quarter of 2001, mortgage delinquency