I would like to thank you all for your patience lately. I have not been writing nearly as much as I should be. Ideally, I would post 3-4 times per week. But these are crazy times. Our economy is severely bent! Everyone is feeling the crunch. But some are more effected than others.

I’ve been providing moral, social, and logistical support to a dear friend who is living in a condo that is deep in foreclosure. My friend “Joe” has been dealing with this stress for some time. His parents, who live out of state, actually own the property but let him live there while he was in college. But they have not discussed ANY of the financial matters with him. Personally, I think they are doing a disservice to him AND themselves by not sharing these vital matters with such a willing and fast learner. Instead, they tried to handle things on their own and told him “it is being taken care of”.

Anyway, to make a long story short, I am like family to him and none of our relatives live in Florida. So we’ve been trying to scramble and find resources, advocacy, etc. Unfortunately, Joe’s parents are not very internet savvy and he doesn’t have internet access. So I have been doing a lot of legwork.

While the information is very sobering and disconcerting, I am learning a lot. It seems like there are soooooo many people facing foreclosure or other financial crisis. But there are legitimate agencies that can help. The MOST IMPORTANT thing is to NOT WAIT to seek help!!! A real estate attorney told me, “These things are like cancer. If they are caught early, often they can be stopped.”

I am grateful that I have been able to be there for my friend. I pray that everything works out. And I would like to “pay it forward” by sharing some of these resources.

• HUD Approved Housing Counseling Agencies - There are so many scams happening now. Find a reputable agency through HUD: U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department website.
• NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES - This is the local Miami, Florida agency we are dealing with. (It is HUD approved.)
• Broken Credit Blog - This blog has some interesting information about consumer rights and foreclosure.
• Aging and Disability Resource Center of Broward County, FL - Here is an agency for senior citizens and disabled people in Broward County (Greater Fort Lauderdale).
• Legal Aid of Broward County, FL - Provides service provides legal advice and representation to low income residents. They have a department specializing in housing.
• National Consumer Law Center - This agency claims to defend the rights of low-income consumers. I haven’t fully browsed the site, but wanted to include it just in case.

Please share by LEAVING A COMMENT and let us know if you have found any other good resources or have experience with these matters.