Avoid Foreclosure, Get Help Today in White Plains

Local leaders are hoping to help Westchester homeowners save their homes from foreclosure by offering free financial consultations in White Plains Friday. 

"It is essential that we provide as much help as possible to financially-troubled homeowners,” said New York State Gov. Andrew Cuomo, in a press release. “The objective is to provide direct help to homeowners and get the word out to others that it’s important to ask for help as quickly as possible. The longer a homeowner waits, the harder it may be to save a home."

New York State Senators Suzi Oppenheimer and Andrea Stewart-Cousins, along with White Plains Mayor Tom Roach will welcome the New York State Department of Financial Services’ (DFS) Mobile Command Center to White Plains, on the corner of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and Martine Avenue (in front of the Westchester County Clerk’s Office) from 11 a.m to 7 p.m.

Local residents will be able to meet one-on-one with a foreclosure prevention specialists who can discuss and offer:

• practical guidance on applying for mortgage modifications
• assisting with mortgage modifications
• interceding on behalf of homeowners with their mortgage lenders or servicers
• advice on communicating with lenders and mortgage servicers
• accepting complaints from homeowners who believe they were victimized by mortgage lending abuses, so complaints can be investigated by the DFS

Westchester Residential Opportunities, Inc. will also have some of their foreclosure prevention staff at the event to assist the DFS.

According to a press release from Oppenheimer’s office, thousands of homes in Westchester County are in risk of imminent foreclosure.

“I thank and commend Governor Cuomo for his leadership in creating the foreclosure prevention program and for bringing the Department of Financial Services' Mobile Command Center to White Plains,” said Roach.

“This is a perfect example of how government can assist those in need and how the State can work with local municipalities in serving as many people as possible. In these difficult economic times it is important for anyone who thinks that they might be in danger of foreclosure to seek help and to evaluate all options in hope of saving their home. Keeping people in their homes benefits both the homeowners and the community at large.” 

Those who can’t attend Friday’s event can still get help by calling the DFS’ foreclosure hotline at 1-800-269-0990 or 518-457-1654 between 8:30 a .m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday or by filing a complaint at www.dfs.ny.gov. 

If you are a homeowner who is fighting foreclosure, be wary of mortgage rescues scams. The DFS says to:

• Be wary of anyone asking for upfront fees for loan modifications, saving a home from default or stopping a foreclosure or tax sale. The law prevents the collection of most of these fees and there are not-for-profit housing counselors to help homeowners negotiate with lenders free of charge.

• Be wary of anyone who says they can save a home if a homeowner signs or transfers the deed to his or her house over to them so the homeowner can catch up on mortgage payments or refinance a loan. Never submit mortgage payments to anyone other than the homeowner’s mortgage company without its approval.

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