I am writing today to announce the closure of the Michigan Messenger. After four years of operation in Michigan, the board of the American Independent News Network, has decided to shift publication of its news into a single site, The American Independent at Americanindependent.com. This is part of a shift in strategy, towards new forms [...]
An abstinence-only presentation provided to numerous school districts in Calhoun and Eaton Counties in October of this year provided false and misleading information to students about HIV, experts allege.
Two county registers of deeds filed a class action lawsuit Monday on behalf of Michigan’s 83 counties alleging that the Mortgage Electronic Registration Services owes millions of dollars in property title transfer taxes.
Despite evidence of the impact of mercury on children and public health, Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette last month joined with 24 other state attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to scuttle new EPA regulations that would reduce mercury emissions from power plants.
Detroit HOPE will be presenting its third foreclosure prevention workshop of the year Wednesday, September 26, at Wayne County Community College, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
Detroit HOPE was formed in 2005 to reduce foreclosures in the Detroit area–by many estimates, one of the nation’s worst markets for foreclosure risk and incidence of subprime lending.
The group is a collaborative of non-profit housing advocates, lenders and the City of Detroit.
According to Bonnie Boards, chair of Detroit HOPE’s program committee, participating lenders mail workshop invitations to all their borrowers 30 days or more delinquent.
Boards said, “Seminar attendance is averaging approximately 75 people .” According to recent reports of foreclosure activity, this is a tiny fraction of eligible borrowers.
Detroit HOPE lender partners include Chase, Countrywide, HSBC North America, New Century Mortgage, Option One Mortgage, National City and GMAC Homecomings. Non-profit partners include: Habitat for Humanity, Detroit Urban League, United Way for Southeastern Michigan. The group’s website has a complete list.
Detroit HOPE also presented foreclosure prevention information at two Home Ownership Education Workshops in June. Over 200 people attended each of those events.
In mid-August, industry group Realty Trac reported a rate of one foreclosure filing for every 29 households in metro-Detroit during the first half of 2007.
ACORN (Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now), a consumer advocacy group, reported last week that metro-Detroit ranks first in the nation for foreclosure risk. According ACORN, in 2006 nearly 2 out of 3 home purchases resulted in a high-cost loan. The report titled Foreclosure Exposure considers the number of high cost loans–those with interest rates 3% or more above prime lending rates–an indicator of subprime loan activity.
Detroit HOPE is currently working with local media to run National Ad Council radio and television spots about foreclosure prevention.
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