Last Saturday, I attended a free two-hour workshop for struggling homeowners in search of information on the ins and outs of foreclosure. It was the first such workshop hosted by NeighborImpact, the Redmond-based nonprofit group that provides a number of home-related community services to residents of Deschutes, Crook and Jefferson counties.

Up until now, NeighborImpact's Housing Center has primarily provided one-on-one mortgage counseling via two HUD-certified foreclosure counselors: Kenny La Point, who works with residents of Bend, Sunriver and La Pine; and Selef Spragg, who works with residents of Redmond, Sisters, Prineville and Madras. But as I learned from their manager, Laura Fritz (whom I chatted with before the workshop began), over the past several months, the organization has been inundated with requests for foreclosure counseling and can no longer provide adequate one-on-one sessions. As foreclosure counselor/workshop speaker Kenny La Point pointed out during the workshop, he's already scheduling sessions one month out and expects the demand to continue to grow.

Although the workshop was only lightly promoted (primarily via the NeighorImpact website and through word of mouth), it was filled to capacity, with 25 pre-registered participants. Fritz says the event will serve as a prototype for ongoing workshops that will enable NeighorImpact to reach more people more quickly. She was non-committal regarding any specific plans for future workshops, however; right now, NeighborImpact is focused on finding additional funding to hire several more counselors.

Topics covered during the session included the Obama Housing Plan, Loss Mitigation Options, Options for Keeping Your Home, Loan Modification, the Foreclosure Process, and How to Avoid Foreclosure  Scams (a growing problem across the country). Overall, it provided some vital information that would be helpful for most homeowners, struggling or otherwise.

With any luck, this won't be a one-time event; it's a worthwhile community service that Central Oregon desperately needs (according to the Bend Bulletin, 827 notices of default were filed in Deschutes County during the first three months of 2009, an increase of more than 156 percent from the first quarter of 2008).

To find out more about this and other programs and services offered through NeighborImpact's Housing Center, visit the NeighborImpact website or call 541-318-3302 in Bend; 541-548-2380, X109 in Redmond; 541- 447-6835 in Prineville; or 541-475-0442 in Madras.

About the Author:
Lisa Broadwater is a Central Oregon-based real estate professional who specializes in listing and selling homes, especially in Sisters, Tumalo, Redmond and Bend. If you'd like to learn more about Central Oregon, please visit www.CentralOregonHome4You.com.