NC Association of REALTORS® Allocates $50,000 to Counseling Agencies to Fight NC Foreclosure

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Jun 06, 2012, 04:06 ET

RALEIGH, N.C., June 6, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The NC Association of REALTORS® (NCAR) announced today that it has allocated a total of $50,000 to counseling agencies across the state to help homeowners in danger of foreclosure.

Through a grant from the National Association of REALTORS®, NCAR has awarded five $10,000 fellowships to counseling agencies in Boone, Greensboro, Kannapolis, Fayetteville and Wilmington. Those agencies serve a total of 46 counties across the state, and provide free, reliable counseling services that help people to avoid foreclosure.

"Every day, REALTORS® help people to achieve the American dream of homeownership," said Lou Baldwin, 2012 NCAR President. "When times are tough, as they have been during this economic downturn in our state and nation, REALTORS® want to help people to hold onto that American dream."

The press conference today at the Legislative Building in downtown Raleigh was part of NCAR's Legislative Day when more than 200 REALTORS® walked the halls of the General Assembly to talk about issues with legislators that impact homeowners and the real estate industry. Other speakers at the press conference were Bob Kucab, executive director of the N.C. Housing Finance Agency; Ned Fowler, executive director of the Northwestern Regional Housing Authority; and Tracy Anderson, a homeowner who was in danger of foreclosure but was able to save his home because of the counseling that he received.

Since 2009, NCAR has contributed nearly $110,000 to efforts to help homeowners who are close to losing their homes. In 2011, there were 53,241 foreclosure filings in North Carolina. REALTORS® want to help those homeowners, along with partners that include the N.C. Housing Finance Agency.

Below is a list of the projects that will be funded through these five fellowships:

Northwestern Regional Housing Authority, Boone. Serves Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, Mitchell, Watauga, Wilkes and Yancey counties.
Northwestern Regional Housing Authority will use an NCAR Foreclosure Prevention Fellowship stipend to pay for and publicize an 800 number to provide services to their large, mountainous service area.
Consumer Credit Counseling of Greater Greensboro, Greensboro. Serves Alamance, Caswell, Davidson, Guilford, Randolph, Rockingham and Rowan counties.
CCCS of Greater Greensboro will conduct at least one foreclosure prevention clinic a month in its out-lying counties. The funds will help pay for staff time, travel, publicity, and other expenses of the clinics.
Prosperity Unlimited, Kannapolis. Serves Cabarrus, Iredell, Mecklenburg, Rowan and Stanly counties.
Prosperity Unlimited will use money from the fellowship to provide in-depth counseling to foreclosure clients on budget techniques, cash flow analysis, bankruptcy and other methods to help homeowners.
Cumberland Community Action Program /Consumer Credit Counseling of Fayetteville, Fayetteville. Serves Harnett, Hoke, Hyde, Johnston, Jones, Lee, Lenoir, Martin, Montgomery, Moore, New Hanover, Onslow, Pamlico, Pender, Pitt, Richmond, Robeson, Rockingham, Sampson, Scotland, Wayne & Wilson counties.
CCCS of Fayetteville will use money from the fellowship to hold two outreach sessions a month in rural counties they serve, in conjunction with local community colleges and Job Link Centers.
Cape Fear Regional Community Development Corporation, Wilmington. Serves Bladen, Brunswick, Columbus, New Hanover and Pender counties.
Cape Fear Regional CDC will use the fellowship to redesign its outdated website to more effectively promote its foreclosure prevention and other services for homeowners.