Serving McLeod County
and the surrounding area
The evening news these days often contains stories about the personal and community impact of the rising number of home foreclosures. Foreclosure filings nationwide reached a high of 240,000 in August 2007, equivalent to one filing for every 510 households.
What usually isn’t said, however, is that reaching out for help before foreclosure proceedings began could have helped many of those people stay in their homes.
The worst thing a homeowner can do is ignore the problem when they have trouble making their mortgage payments. According to Mindy A. Bockstein, chairperson and executive director of the New York State Consumer Protection Board, “Research shows that half of the families who fall into foreclosure never called their lender for help.”
A variety of counseling options are available to homeowners, free of charge, including the 888-995-HOPE (4673) hotline. Any homeowner in America having trouble paying their mortgage can call the hotline to get budgeting help, a written financial plan or assistance contacting their lender.
The Homeowner's HOPE Hotline is provided by the Homeownership Preservation Foundation (HPF), a nonprofit dedicated to preserving homeownership and preventing foreclosure. HPF’s efforts have the support of major mortgage lending and servicing organizations.
The toll-free number is answered 24 hours a day, seven days a week by counselors approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Live online counseling is available through www.995HOPE.org.
Homeowners who call as soon as they realize they are having problems paying their mortgage increase the likelihood that they will be able to effectively manage mortgage payments and stay in their homes. HPF, according to President and Executive Director Colleen Hernandez, can offer a greater selection of options to address homeowners’ individual financial situations the earlier they call.
A national advertising campaign to promote the hotline is bringing more awareness to foreclosure counseling services. Calls to the 888-995-HOPE hotline have doubled every quarter in 2007, with nearly 60,000 being received in the third quarter.
Some homeowners may prefer more personal, face-to-face counseling or need local resources. They can call 888-995-HOPE for a referral to their local NeighborWorks® (www.nw.org) office or other counseling organization. NeighborWorks® America is an organization that creates opportunities for people to improve their lives and strengthen their communities by providing access to homeownership.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development (www.hud.gov) and the Department of Justice (www.usdoj.gov) also maintain searchable lists of approved free or low-cost credit-counseling agencies on their Web sites.
Homeownership brings many benefits to American families, but it is also a big responsibility. Smart planning and reaching out to the many available resources for help at the first sign of trouble will help you stay in the home you worked so hard to get.