Last month, home foreclosure filings in Delaware broke another monthly record, totaling 652, compared with 389 in July 2008, a jump of 67.6 percent, according to a press release from the State Attorney General's Office.
For the first seven months of 2009, foreclosure filings jumped 45.3 percent from last year, to 3,552, versus 2,443 in the same time period in 2008.
In an effort to help homeowners who are late making mortgage payments, facing foreclosure, or suspect a foreclosure scam, the Attorney General’s Mortgage Fraud Task Force is supporting two August foreclosure prevention workshops sponsored by Delaware non-profit housing agencies.
The free workshops will be held on the following dates:
• Monday, August 17, 6-8 p.m., at NCALL, 1110 S. Bedford Street, Georgetown;
• Thursday, August 20, 6-8 p.m., at Newark YWCA, 153 E. Chestnut Hill Road, Newark.
During these workshops, presented by NCALL Research and YWCA Delaware, counselors from HUD-certified Delaware housing agencies and a representative from the Attorney General’s Office will lead informational presentations and be available to meet with individuals one-on-one to provide details about the Delaware Mortgage Assistance Program (DEMAP), mortgage refinancing options, foreclosure, and foreclosure rescue scams.
Reservations required
Interested homeowners must RSVP for these events by calling NCALL at (302) 678-9400 or YWCA at (302) 224-4060, ext. 200.
A complete list of Delaware housing events is available online at www.deforeclosurehelp.org.
More help available
Borrowers who have missed mortgage payments and have been named in a foreclosure filing are reminded that mortgage rescue companies and others who offer to help with mortgage modifications are prohibited by law from receiving payment in advance of providing the service.
Homeowners facing foreclosure or who suspect foreclosure fraud are encouraged to call the Attorney General's Mortgage Hotline at 1-800-220-5424, visit the Attorney General’s website at www.attorneygeneral.delaware.gov/mortgageforeclosure, or visit the Delaware State Housing Authority’s Foreclosure Help website at www.deforeclosurehelp.org.
These state resources provide information about government programs, access to free HUD-certified housing counseling services, as well as fraud-prevention and reporting tools.
