Foreclosure aid meeting draws 1,500

By Christopher Quinn

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

An estimated 1,500-plus homeowners in danger of foreclosure began lining up Thursday night to talk Friday with lenders and counselors at the Hope Now Foreclosure Workshop in College Park.

It was the fourth such event in metro Atlanta since 2009, and drew a crowd similar in size to previous ones.

"So the need is still great in Atlanta," said Timothy Massad, the Treasury Department's acting assistant secretary for financial stability, who was on hand to get a first-hand feel for how things were going.

Georgia is one of the top states in the nation in foreclosures.

The workshop is aimed at cutting through the confusion of telephone negotiations, emails and letters, which many homeowners said has been frustrating and unproductive.

"I applied [for a loan modification] June 15 last year. And it's been a runaround," said Michelle Volk of Lithia Springs.

She was early in line and finished her interview before noon.

She said she was promised "I will have an answer in 10 days."

Brad Dwin of Hope Now said, on average, one in three homeowners leave such workshops with an answer as to whether their loans will be modified to lower payments. Others leave with a clearer understanding of whether they have a chance of getting a loan modified and what steps they must take to either save their homes or prepare to move.

The workshops, sponsored by a consortium of government agencies, nonprofits, banks and loan servicers, have been held around the country since 2009.

The one in College Park will continue Saturday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Georgia International Convention Center at 2000 Convention Center Concourse.

Dwin said those attending should bring all their mortgage paperwork, copies of correspondence with lenders and information about lost jobs, and W-2 forms or other proof of income.

Lenders can cut interest rates, lower monthly payments or otherwise stretch the terms of a loan to make it more affordable for those in trouble.

Despite months of fruitless negotiations with loan holders, many of those attending were upbeat, sure the face-to-face contact was going to make the difference.

"We just want a fair shot. That's all," said Derek Boone of Decatur.