Archive for the 'Connecticut Articles' Category

A program which can provide homeowners with answers on how to stop house auction foreclosures in Connecticut has been launched recently. The program will be administered by the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority and will provide loans to borrowers in the region who are at least three months behind in their mortgage payments.

The number of residential properties that have fallen into foreclosure auctions in Andover, CT and in other local markets of the state has risen in the past few years, while a big number of state homeowners are currently in danger of getting foreclosed on. To head off the problem, the initiative will try to provide help before properties end up getting foreclosed. The effort is part of the U.S. federal government's Emergency Homeowners' Loan Program.

To help homeowners avoid losing their homes to CT foreclosure auctions, those who have fallen behind in their mortgage payments due to income reduction caused by unemployment and medical emergencies will be allowed to apply for assistance under the program that will provide them with $50,000 or an amount enough to cover their loans for two years. Local housing officials revealed that homeowners with household income equal to or below 120% of the median income in the area where their homes are located can qualify.

A lot of people in Connecticut, as well as in the whole country, have been trying to find out how to stop house auction or foreclosure actions against their properties. Housing market analysts stated that this recent effort will help them keep their home and will ease some of their financial burdens until they find another job or get their financial conditions in order.

Housing officials in the region have revealed that the loans will be forgiven if borrowers who qualified are able to remain in their homes for a certain period of time and if they consider the troubled property as their primary residence. Officials have expressed optimism that the latest program will help lower the number of residential properties falling into public foreclosure auctions. The emergency loan is also applicable to delinquent taxes, home insurance, condo fees and other fees related to foreclosure, officials further revealed.

Homeowners around the country have been seeking ways on how to stop house auction and foreclosure proceedings against their properties for the past five years. Housing agency officials in Connecticut believe that the latest initiative might just provide the right answer for a big number of state homeowners.

Online foreclosure monitoring service, RealtyTrac has released its data showing the state of Connecticut in the 19th position in terms of house repossession filings in April 2009. The state registered 2,174 filings in April, an increase of 25 percent from the same month last year.

Meanwhile, RealtyTrac’s U.S. Foreclosure Market Report noted foreclosure filings in 2,885 properties in March, representing 30 percent increase in February and 36 percent from figures of March 2008.

For the first quarter, Connecticut reported foreclosure filings on 5,876 properties, a 7 percent decline from the last quarter and 23 percent drop from the first quarter the previous year.

RealtyTrac Chief Executive Officer James J. Saccacio said that there was a significant decline in foreclosure activity in Connecticut in the first quarter. He said that the decline in foreclosure activity is significant considering that the state’s unemployment rate is playing along 7 and 8 percent.

However, he pointed out that the housing market in Connecticut is still not on its way to recovery as there was a significant increase in foreclosure activity in the state in March. For the quarter, Connecticut was in the 27th spot in terms of the total number of house repossession filings with one per 245 homeowners receiving notices of default. The state’s foreclosure rate ranked 15th nationwide.

The biggest contributor to the state’s foreclosure activity is New Haven County which reported about 1,746 houses with filings of foreclosure. Nationwide, Connecticut’s share in the 803,489 homes with foreclosure filings was less than 1 percent in the first quarter.

Meanwhile, Connecticut’s Mortgage Foreclosure Assistance Hotline receives 41 calls daily from distressed homeowners trying to find ways to prevent foreclosure from taking their properties or communicate with their lenders.

On the other hand, the Connecticut Housing Finance Authority (CHFA) is operating the Connecticut Fair Alternative Mortgage Lending Initiative and Education Services Program or CT Families. The program allows eligible borrowers to refinance loans with adjustable rates.

Aside from the CT Families program, the CHFA also provides the Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program which aims to offer relief to troubled subprime mortgage borrowers who are at-risk of foreclosure because of some mitigating circumstances.

CHFA’s marketing and customer service coordinator Rose Holbrook said that state residents have been showing interest in saving their properties from foreclosure. She said that CHFA has been receiving 1,700 calls every month from homeowners who want to know about the house repossession prevention program, a decline from 3,000 calls since July 2008.