Reverbiage: Stories from NPR tagged 'foreclosures'

Citigroup Anti-Foreclosure Plan Would Alter Loans

Thu, 08 Jan 2009 15:49:00 EST

Democratic lawmakers have reached a deal with Citigroup Inc. on a plan to let bankruptcy judges alter home loans in an effort to prevent foreclosures and said they expected other lenders to follow.

Obama Asks Congress To Approve Billions

Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:00:00 EST

With unemployment through the roof, foreclosure rates at an all-time high and a wildly fluctuating stock market, President-elect Barack Obama is asking Congress to approve hundreds of billions of dollars in new government spending.

Despite Everything, Detroit Still Has Fans

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 13:53:00 EST

A power outage is just the cherry on top of a year in Detroit that saw the auto industry running on fumes, a housing industry wracked by foreclosure and unemployment rates among the highest in the nation. So why is Detroit still so lovable?

Evicted On Christmas Eve

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST

Alex Cohen talks to Scott Svobada, a San Diego man whose condo is being sold at a foreclosure auction on Christmas Eve. Svobada has been out of work since 2005, and could no longer make the mortgage payments.

IndyMac's Relatively Borrower-Friendly ReFi Plan

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 06:00:00 EST

California has lost more homes to foreclosure this year than any other state. Given the scale of the housing crisis, a lot of people are talking about a mass loan refinancing program. It could be modeled along the lines of the pilot program federal regulators are running for IndyMac, the ill-fated bank based in Pasadena. Rachael Myrow reports for member station KQED.

Help Calls In L.A. On The Rise As Economy Tanks

Fri, 19 Dec 2008 14:37:00 EST

Los Angeles County's 211 telephone service provides help for callers with basic needs like food and shelter. As the economy falters, the call center is seeing a dramatic rise in calls, especially from families facing foreclosure.

How To Boil Down Your Life For A Bailout Panel

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST

Alfred Estrada, who recently lost his job and is facing foreclosure, was invited to appeared in front of the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) oversight panel Tuesday in Las Vegas. We join him for the day to get a sense of what it's like to take the morning off from unpaid bills to sum up his woes in three minutes.

County With High Foreclosure Rate Hosts Hearing

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 06:00:00 EST

The Congressional Oversight Panel has held its first field hearing on the foreclosure crisis and the government's $700 billion financial bailout. Tuesday's hearing was held in Nevada's Clark County which has the highest foreclosure rate in the country. The meeting was a chance for the oversight panel to investigate, analyze and review the bailout.

Foreclosures Leave Trail Of Disaster In Las Vegas

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST

The collapse of the housing market is often described with the language of a natural disaster: tsunami, hurricane or earthquake. In Las Vegas, foreclosures run seven times the national average. A visit there reveals just how right on the natural disaster analogy is.

Priest Tries To Keep People In Their Homes

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST

The San Fernando Valley in California has been deeply affected by the foreclosure crisis, but Father John Lasseigne has come up with a plan to help.

Obama Names N.Y. Official To Housing Post

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 20:11:00 EST

As housing commissioner, Shaun Donovan managed a $7.5 billion plan to help a half-million New Yorkers get affordable housing. Obama credited Donovan with keeping foreclosures down among the thousands of low- and moderate-income people who took part in his program.

Housing Discrimination Leading To Foreclosures...

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 15:08:00 EST

Unfair housing practices may be deepening the foreclosure crisis, according to a new report by The National Commission on Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity. Commission member Myron Orfield is joined by Wade Henderson, of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, to explain the findings.

In Rough Times, More People Abandon Their Pets

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST

The economic downturn means people are reconsidering the importance of their pets. Consequently, animal shelters are seeing an upswing in abandoned dogs and cats. We examine one program in Chicago that is offering two-for-one adoption specials, organizing pet food banks and accepting dogs from families in foreclosure.

Housing Gamble: Vegas Swims In Foreclosures

Mon, 08 Dec 2008 14:25:00 EST

In Las Vegas, the foreclosure rate in October was more than seven times the national average — about one in every 60 homes. And half of the homes in the Vegas area are worth less than the loans owed on them. Every month, several hundred more homeowners fall behind on payments.

Family Goes From Foreclosure To Skid Row

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 16:31:00 EST

Andy Bale, the director of Skid Row's Union Mission in Los Angeles, has never seen this before: In just the last few weeks, he has admitted a half-dozen two-parent families, many of who have lost their homes to foreclosure. Bale says the face of Skid Row's homeless is changing quickly.

Bernanke: Foreclosure Trend Needs To Stop

Fri, 05 Dec 2008 06:00:00 EST

Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke is urging more be done to stem the flood of foreclosures. Bernanke called on the government Thursday to get more involved, and hopefully spare the U-S economy even more damage.

U.K. Unveils Mortgage-Deferral Plan

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 16:35:00 EST

The British government has launched a new scheme to allow homeowners up to two years deferral on mortgage payments to prevent an increase in foreclosures. It is seen as a pre-election move by Prime Minister Gordon Brown to show that he cares about "Middle Britain."

Treasury Considers Foreclosure Plan

Thu, 04 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST

The Treasury is considering a plan to help people in foreclosure trouble. They may urge banks to give new mortgages at lower rates in an effort to keep people in their homes. Wall Street Journal reporter Deborah Solomon discusses the proposal.

Michigan Governor Reflects On Changing Economy

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 13:00:00 EST

The financial crisis has battered the state of Michigan with high unemployment and rampant foreclosures. And the state's lifeblood — the auto industry — is in trouble. Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm discusses how the state is coping with the tough economy.

Foreclosure Crisis Leaves HOA Dues Unpaid

Wed, 03 Dec 2008 06:55:00 EST

Homeowners associations across the country are being hit hard by the foreclosure crisis. Millions of dollars worth of monthly dues are going unpaid. Neighbors are left to pick up the tab — if they can.

Foreclosures Revive Home-sharing

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 13:22:00 EST

With the rise in foreclosures, many people are going back to an old-fashioned way to save on housing: sharing. One newly married couple decided to try the measure after one spouse was laid off. Vermont Public Radio's Nina Keck reports.

For Some Fighting Foreclosure, Legal Aid Gap Hurts

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 17:11:00 EST

For someone facing foreclosure, an attorney can make all the difference. Everyone accused of a criminal offense is entitled to a lawyer, regardless of whether they can afford one. But in civil cases, like home foreclosures, there is no right to an attorney. Some people of modest means are being kicked out of their homes who might have been able to stay if they'd had legal help.

Foreclosures Overwhelm Legal Aid Programs

Thu, 27 Nov 2008 03:07:00 EST

Half of all poor people seeking help to stave off foreclosures "are being turned away at the door," an official with the National Legal Aid & Defender Association estimates. The programs, which offer free or low-cost counsel, don't have enough staff to meet demand.

'Main Street' Deflation Influences Obama's Cabinet Picks

Tue, 25 Nov 2008 12:00:00 EST

Yesterday, President-elect Barack Obama announced his top economic appointments, including Timothy Geithner as Treasury Secretary. The highly anticipated unveiling came as America faces a number of economic woes, including home foreclosures, massive layoffs and Wall Street turmoil. Money coach Alvin Hall and NPR's David Kestenbaum discuss deflation, Obama's stimulus and its impact on Main Street.

Foreclosures Sales: Light At The End Of The Tunnel...

Tue, 18 Nov 2008 06:00:00 EST

Housing areas that saw a lot of foreclosures are starting to see more sales. In Sacramento and Riverside counties in California, sales have been up for the last six months. The same is true in Prince William County in Virginia. Some people are wondering whether these pockets of recovery are actually signaling a bottom to the housing downturn.