By: Jessica Sibley
Correspondent
As the bills pile up, as taxes go unpaid, for many homeowners, foreclosure seems to be unavoidable.
Rep. Gresham Barrett wants his constituents to know that there are other options available to them.
To that end, Barrett, in conjunction with NeighborWorks America, hosted two seminars for first-time home buyers and those interested in preventing foreclosure on Mar. 29 at the Anderson County Library.
"Education is the most important thing here," Barrett said. "So many people are not fully aware of their options when purchasing a mortgage or dealing with foreclosure. The only question that will go unanswered is the question you don't ask."
Barrett said that many people facing foreclosure just don't know realize that help is available to them.
"They're afraid," he said. "So many times they just don't know where to turn or they just don't want to answer the phone."
Many lending institutions are trying to assist those in danger of foreclosure, Barrett said.
"Foreclosure is a lose-lose proposition, for the person that loses their home and for the lending institution," he said. "That's a major investment."
The seminars are away for prospective home-buyers and those facing foreclosure to get valuable information for free.
"If one person were to lose their home, that's too many," Barrett said. "If we can can help even one person either acquire a home for the first time or help somebody keep their home, that's worth it."
In addition to the local bankers and mortgage lenders on hand to counsel the curious, NeighborWorks America, a non-profit whose mission is to "preserve homeownership by supporting a foreclosure intervention strategy in communities nationwide," had representatives present, ready to crush the number one misconception; foreclosure is a bottom line.
"Over 50 percent of South Carolina residents in foreclosure lose their home unnecessarily," NeighborWorks representative Debbie Kid said. "The reason is simple, they don't know who to call. They feel helpless and stop opening their mail. That's where we come in.
"We offer numerous plans to get your mortgage back on track," Kid continued. "There is no reason to be embarrassed. We understand and we're here to listen."
Every three months, 250,000 new families nationwide will be faced with foreclosure, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.
Embarrassment is the number one reason people don't seek help when dealing with foreclosure, according to a Freddie Mac homeowners poll. In order to lessen the stigma, NeighborWorks America teamed up with the Ad Council to head a public service campaign and establish a hotline for those seeking advice.
"By calling 1-800-995-HOPE, you can start to gain control of your mortgage again," said Hillary Rowe, NeighborWorks consultant.
Rowe urges those who may being having trouble paying their mortgage to call the hotline or visit www.nw.org/foreclosuresolutions.com for helpful advice that could potentially save your home.
Those who are unable to attend seminars should contact Barrett's offices for assistance.
"We're there to help ... to continue to turn them on to people that can help them if they need some help," Barrett said.
More informative seminars in the works, including one on the upcoming digital television changeover, Barrett said.
"There are a lot of people that will be affected by that," he said. "We want to get the information out on what people can do, what their options are."
Jason Evans contributed to this article. Reach Jason Evans at jevans@pickenssentinel.com.
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