Foreclosure Solutions Fair

November 18, 2008
Fair to Focus on Foreclosure Solutions

By Kevin Duggan

For Loveland Connection

The economic meltdown continues to hit too close to home for many Northern Colorado residents.
With foreclosures in Larimer and Weld counties on the rise, organizers of Saturday's "Foreclosure Prevention Assistance Fair" at The Ranch hope local residents will come out to learn what they can do to keep their properties.
The fair is scheduled 9 a.m. to noon in the First National Bank Exhibition Hall.The goal of the fair is to inform homeowners about options they have if they are worried about making mortgage payments, face foreclosure or are already in the foreclosure process, said Billie Jo Downing, chairwoman of the Foreclosure Prevention Task Force of Larimer County."The fair is a wonderful way for people to see that somebody cares about what happens to them," she said. "They need to know there are ways to reach solutions."Many property owners walk away from their homes when facing foreclosure without seeking assistance, Downing said.Those who do seek help are much more likely to keep their homes or find a workable housing situation, she said."Just taking some action to find information is a huge step in the right direction," she said.Government agencies, as well as local nonprofits, such as Neighbor to Neighbor and Consumer Credit Counseling, will have booths set up at the fair to offer advice.Seminars will include information on topics such as how to pay bills while facing foreclosure and how to communicate with a mortgage company.Housing counselors will be on hand to answer questions or set up time for more in-depth interviews, said Wendie Robinson, executive director of Neighbor to Neighbor.Given the scope of problems within the housing industry, lenders are increasingly willing to renegotiate mortgages, Robinson said. But problems need to be addressed as quickly as possible."If things have gone too far it gets tricky," she said.Colorado ranked fifth in the nation for the number of houses in foreclosure in October.As of last week, 1,391 Larimer County homeowners were in some stage of foreclosure, according to the Larimer County Public Trustee's Office. Of those, 459 were sold at foreclosure sale, 343 were withdrawn and 589 are still in process.Additional Facts
Interested?
The Foreclosure Prevention Assistance Fair is scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the First National Bank Exhibition Hall at The Ranch, Larimer County's fairgrounds complex.Information: Angela Dazlich, Colorado Foreclosure Hotline, 420-2943, or Meaghanne Oresjo, Neighbor to Neighbor, 663-4163