HOPE NOW brings mortgage counseling and HAMP assistance to Nevada homeowners

Representatives from more than a dozen mortgage servicers, plus several local U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development (HUD)-approved housing counselors, were on hand recently in Reno and Las Vegas to assist struggling homeowners with their mortgages. In Reno, 728 families had the opportunity to sit down one-on-one with their mortgage company and a HUD-approved housing counselor. Three more events were held in Las Vegas. The total attendance for the three days in Las Vegas was 1,625. The third day was a document collection event, specifically held for the purpose of collecting missing documents needed for Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) applications. “The industry has engaged in unprecedented borrower outreach efforts across the country, completing almost 2.7 million loan modifications since 2007," said Faith Schwartz, executive director of the HOPE NOW Alliance. "These events are a big part of the effort and HOPE NOW will continue to collaborate with the government and the non-profit community to keep as many families as possible in their homes.”  “Over one million homeowners across the country have been offered help from the Making Home Affordable Program," said Phyllis Caldwell, Chief of the U.S. Department of the Treasury's Homeownership Preservation Office. "These events provide more homeowners the opportunity to meet one-on-one with their mortgage company and a HUD-approved housing counselor to discuss their options--for free." Michael and Tanya, homeowners from Henderson, Nev., attended one of the Las Vegas events and were able to get a trial modification on-site. “I lost my job recently and we were three months behind on our mortgage. Our bank actually contacted us to find out why we were late since we had never missed a payment before," said Michael. "When I told them the situation, they recommended the Making Home Affordable program. Fortunately, we were able to get approval for a trial modification that reduces our payments by 52 percent. This will help a lot as I look for work and my wife launches her new business. We will do anything to keep our house." For more information, visit www.HOPENOW.com or www.MakingHomeAffordable.gov.