In my role as housing counselor, I see people facing financial hardship - LOT's of them right now with the high unemployment rate and foreclosure rate we see here in Southern Oregon. There is a rule out there that I try to make people aware of, especially when their mortgage and checking/savings
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05/19/2011
James Quarello makes a great point about taking the first step in order to obtain your goal. When working with homeowners in financial distress, it is part of our work to establish the steps they need to take in order to reach their established goal. Whatever the goal, one can't get there without
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05/14/2011
I came across an article by First Tuesday about the banks regulating themselves in the current environment we are in. I can vouch that this is NOT an acceptable solution, as we HUD Housing Counselors continually run in to situations where the Big Banks do not abide by the rules, guidelines and la
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04/20/2011
What Mike Jones learned about the low FICO FHA financing wasn't great news. But, knowledge IS power in my mind, even when the knowledge isn't necessarily great news! I've seen moves by a tiny handful of lenders addressing this market segment. We'll see where it goes from here... Great job, Mike!
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04/15/2011
We finally made it to the Sunrise Café & Catering at 130 E. Main Street in Downtown Medford tonight, getting to this popular lunchtime destination – but for dinner. This family owned business run by brother and sister, Ed Chun and Carol Hendricks was worth the wait. Having experienced the delec
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03/05/2011
Being in the trenches day in and day out, fighting alongside Southern Oregon homeowners who have encountered financial difficulties, every once in a while I have to look up and survey the territory we are battling in. Reach out to the other troops and compare experiences. Strategize and determine
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01/29/2011
Eleanor Thorne posted some great details about USDA and FHA loans very pertinent to market conditions here in Southern Oregon. It is a great outline for buyers considering re-entering the real estate market after they have experienced a "trigger event" outside their control. With forecasts of dou
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01/29/2011
What would happen do you think if homeowners who have encountered financial difficulties that they are unable to resolve with their bank and its investors did their own Property Disclosure Statement and notified their bank/investors, surrounding neighbors, banks’ listing agents and State Real Est
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01/23/2011
Obviously, this message is close to my heart. I see the people affected by this crisis every day, and not just at my job. I see them at the grocery store, in church, at the park...their kids go to school with mine. Who doesn't know a homeowner that has been affected by the economy and foreclosure
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01/20/2011
Oregon was one of the states awarded money to help its communitites suffering from high foreclosure and unemployment rates. One of the programs Oregon designed was to help eligible families pay their mortgage payments - up to $20,000 or 12 months, whichever is less. Jackson County Oregon was give
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01/08/2011
