Thursday, June 12, 2008
Help with home
A state foreclosure prevention task force is coming to Roanoke on Saturday to counsel residents.
Shaozhou Cui | The Roanoke Times
A state task force wants to help people about to be or in the middle of a foreclosure, such as these homeowners in Blacksburg.
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Getting help
- What: Free mortgage clinics for homeowners worried about losing their homes to foreclosure
- By: Virginia Foreclosure Prevention Task Force
- When: Saturday, clinics available from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Where: Roanoke Higher Education Center, Claude Moore Education Complex, 108 N. Jefferson St., Roanoke
- Details: Each clinic session will last about 60 minutes. Walk-ins are welcome, but preregistration is encouraged because space is limited. To preregister, go to Web site or call toll free (877) 843-2123 and choose option 6.
For some former homeowners in the Roanoke region, it will be too late.
For others who stand on the precipice of losing their homes to foreclosure or are already in foreclosure, a state task force wants to help.
In the first quarter of 2008, in the Roanoke Metropolitan Statistical Area, there were 58 foreclosures -- a whopping increase of 480 percent from the same period in 2007.
The Roanoke MSA includes the cities of Roanoke and Salem and the counties of Botetourt, Craig, Franklin and Roanoke.
The task force hopes to help homeowners buck this wrenching trend.
On Saturday, the Virginia Foreclosure Prevention Task Force will be in Roanoke to offer free mortgage clinics. Each 60-minute clinic will include general information about preventing foreclosure.
In addition, about 30 minutes of that time will be individual foreclosure counseling sessions with certified housing counselors trained in loss mitigation and foreclosure prevention.
Gov. Tim Kaine formed the task force late last year as foreclosures began to multiply in the wake of a subprime mortgage meltdown. The clinics idea emerged later.
"Whether you are just beginning to have trouble making your mortgage payments or you are already in foreclosure, our hope is that the information you receive at the clinics will help you keep your home," said Kaine in a news release.
Susan Dewey, executive director of the Virginia Housing Development Authority, advised homeowners: "Don't ignore the symptoms of foreclosure. Come learn what to say when you call your lender."
