Some Lehigh County officials are doing their part to help people from losing their homes. As WFMZ's Stephanie Esposito finds out, the solution sometimes is as simple as bringing people face to face. I think there are some 700 foreclosures taking place in a year.   
>>REPORTER: More and more Lehigh County homeowners are facing foreclosure. 

>>From 2007 to 2008 our number of mortgage foreclosure cases have shot up to 54%. For 2009 THe raw numbers are ahead of 2008. 

>> REPORTER: So the Community Action Committee of the Lehigh Valley and Judge Ed Reibman came up with a plan. 

>>When a mortgage foreclosure case is filed in Lehigh County we immediately send out a notice to both parties allowing the defendant to request a conference. 

>>REPORTER: A face to face meeting between defaulted homeowner and lender, to come up with a solution that doesn't include a homeless defendant or lender saddled with another bad mortgage. 

>>This is their last opportunity to come up with a loan modification. 

>>REPORTER: The goal is to re work the loan agreement with a lower interest rate or payment, so the homeowner can make a rebound. 

>>A foreclosure benefits nobody. 

>>REPORTER: The demand for this program was so great that they ended up taking on 3 times the caseload than they excepted. 

>>When we thought originally we'd do 25 cases in a 6 week period we're going to be doing 75. 

>> REPORTER: The face of foreclosure doesn't seem to fit a stereotype. There are people with 600,000 mortgages coming to us and 60,000 mortgages coming to us. 

>> REPORTER: Showing just how widespread the mortgage crisis has become.
 
>>Northampton County also has a plan in the works for their own foreclosure assistance program.

( Video won't play? CLICK HERE for some helpful suggestions )

---

e-mail story | print view | rss feeds | wireless | google desktop | podcast