Eight Detroit, Michigan, zip codes are among the top ten in the nation for number of foreclosures. Following up on the nation's most widely attended mortgage foreclosure forum, Attorney General Mike Cox today announced that his office will be hosting a second "Avoid Foreclosure Forum" at Cobo Hall on February 12 from 12:00 noon to 7:00 p.m. Cox held the nation's largest foreclosure forum in Detroit last month, where more than 4,200 homeowners had an opportunity to speak face to face with servicers and independent loan counselors. The forum is open to the public and free of charge.
"If you're a homeowner who has fallen behind on your mortgage or are at-risk of losing your home, then I encourage you to take advantage of this free forum to speak with your loan servicer or an independent loan counselor," said Cox. "Michigan is currently second only to Texas in the number of foreclosures across the nation. I encourage all homeowners with questions to attend my free forum and learn how they can avoid foreclosure."
Cox organized the first "Avoid Foreclosure Forum" on December 13, 2007, at Cobo Hall. The forum was the nation's largest foreclosure event, bringing together 21 of the nation's largest loan providers and servicers, as well as 11 HUD approved nonprofit agencies, representatives from OFIS (Office of Financial and Insurance Services) and local county treasurers' offices.
Currently, 23 servicers, 19 government entities, and 7 HUD approved nonprofit counseling agencies have agreed to participate in the second Cobo Hall Avoid Foreclosure Forum. For more information on whether your loan servicer or provider will be attending, please visit www.michigan.gov/ag and click on the Avoid Foreclosure button.
"Foreclosure is a problem that affects everyone," continued Cox. "My goal is to bring the servicers and homeowners together." Letters from the Attorney General will be mailed out to more than 20,000 homeowners in the Metro Detroit region over the next two weeks. These mailings include a letter from the Attorney General, a flyer for free parking, a brochure with tools and tips to help save your home, and a worksheet to help borrowers prepare for their meetings. Homeowners who receive the letters have been identified as persons with whom a lender would like to discuss possible remedies to help the borrowers avoid foreclosure.
For more information about the "Avoid Foreclosure Forums," including the free parking flier, the downloadable brochure with tools and tips to help save your home, and contact information for the lenders and service providers attending the "Avoid Foreclosure Forum," please visit the Attorney General's website at www.michigan.gov/ag.


Rachel Dollar, the editor of Mortgage Fraud Blog is an attorney and Certified Mortgage Banker who handles litigation for lending institutions and secondary market investors.