Entry bubble Facing Foreclosure? Find Help Now!

By: Editor | June 22, 2009 | Category: Money

Wendy Wagner is the staff editor and speechwriter for the Federal Housing Finance Agency. She has more than 20 years’ experience as a professional writer and editor. 

A few days ago, a neighbor mentioned that another neighbor was trying to avoid losing his home. His wife had been laid off from her job in March, and the couple was afraid they would end up in foreclosure.

I was glad to be able to tell my neighbor how to access programs to help them avoid foreclosure. And it occurred to me that lots of people are probably in the same boat. If you are facing foreclosure or worry that soon you might be, take these steps immediately to try to prevent losing your home:

First, call the company that services your loan—the place where you send your monthly mortgage payment. Check your mortgage payment book or monthly statement to verify which bank or mortgage company it is. Call and talk to someone about your situation and find out what options you have. Believe it or not, the servicers usually want to help rather than have someone lose their home. Sometimes they can offer immediate solutions or give you a referral to find help. The sooner you begin working with the servicer, the more likely you are to avoid foreclosure in the long run.

Next, find out if you are eligible for the new Making Home Affordable programs—you have to live in the mortgaged home, and the mortgage must be owned or guaranteed by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, although several major loan servicing companies have signed up to participate in the program for nonFannie/Freddie loans. To find out if you are eligible, visit www.makinghomeaffordable.gov. The site is simple and set up to help you quickly find answers to your questions.

Another source of information and assistance is the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). HUD offers foreclosure avoidance counseling and has a complete list of approved counseling centers across the country. HUD also has a comprehensive information page with numerous resources and suggestions.

If you have even a slight worry that you could lose your home, there are programs out there that can help you head off the trouble early. Don’t wait to seek them out and get started.

| View Comments [7] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: editor   foreclosure   house   hud   mortgage  

 

Entry bubble Get Out and Vote!

By: Joanne | November 04, 2008 | Category: General

voteYou know that it’s Election Day, right? I assume you’ve been getting as many political mailings and phone calls as I have so I don’t know how you could miss it.

Did you vote yet? Are you planning to vote? I would have voted already if I lived in a state that provided for early voting, but I don’t. I’m going to vote during my lunch break today. I always look forward to voting, even if sometimes it doesn’t end up the way I want it to. At least I try and I don’t leave these important decisions up to everyone else.

I hope you’re going to vote today. I’m counting on all you highly intelligent readers of the GovGab blog to weigh in on the future of our country. If you’re not sure if your polling place is still open, check on its hours because they vary from state to state.

If you go out to vote and feel that you’ve been discriminated against or witness voter fraud, there’s something you can do about it. The Voting Rights Act of 1965 protects every American against racial discrimination in voting. The law also protects the voting rights of people with limited English skills.

If you have information about voter fraud, you should contact the nearest office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) or your local U.S. Attorney’s office or the Public Integrity Section of the Criminal Division of the U.S. Department of Justice.

If you know of activities that intimidate, coerce, threaten, or oppress voters based on race, color, religion, or national origin, report it to the Criminal Section of the U.S. Department of Justice.

Now get out and vote!

| View Comments [3] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: congress   democrat   election   house   joanne   place   polling   president   republican   senate   vote  

 

Entry bubble Is Radon Lurking in Your Home?

By: Stephanie | September 05, 2008 | Category: Health

radioactive symbolDid you know that the number one cause of lung cancer among nonsmokers may be lurking in your home? The culprit—elevated levels of radon—is estimated to be found in nearly one out of every 15 homes in the United States, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Some 20,000 people will die this year due to breathing too much radon without even knowing it. Among smokers, radon is the second leading cause of lung cancer.

Radon is a naturally occurring radioactive gas found in nearly all soils. It can leak through cracks into your home, where it can get trapped and build up. You can't see radon, and you can't smell or taste it. Any home can have a radon problem—new and old homes, well-sealed and drafty homes, and homes with or without basements.

The EPA and the Surgeon General of the United States have recommended that all houses be tested for radon. I thought that my house had a radon tester, but while researching this post, I learned that it’s just a monitor—which sports the recommendation to test for radon every two years.

Luckily, many states offer free or discounted radon test kits; you can check your state’s program on EPA’s map. Radon test kits are also available by calling 1-800-SOS-RADON (1-800-767-7236), and from some local or state American Lung Associations and home improvement stores.

If you have elevated levels of radon in your home, professionals can help fix the problem, often for about the same cost as other common home repairs.

For more facts on radon, visit EPA's general information, its citizens' guide to radon, and its consumers' guide to radon reduction. Pueblo.gsa.gov also offers information on the deadly gas, and the National Institutes of Health and USA.gov offer useful links to more information on radon.

| View Comments [3] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: gas   home   house   killer   lung_cancer   radioactive   radon   safety   stephanie   test  

 

Entry bubble How Does Your Representative Vote?

By: Joanne | June 24, 2008 | Category: Home and Family

U.S. Capitol buildingYou know how it goes; you pay a little attention to political candidates before an election, and you uphold your responsibility to vote for the candidate of your choice. Once they’re in office you’re too busy to think about what they’re doing with the power you’ve given them.

At the national level, sometimes we see news stories about hot topics and bills being passed by the U.S. Congress. I’ve often seen people write in to USA.gov wanting to contact a high profile member of the House or Senate in order to express an opinion on a topic.

There’s something you need to know about contacting a member of Congress – they answer to their constituents, that is, the people in their voting district. If you really want to get your message through to the Congress, you’ve got to keep tabs on the House Member or Senator from your voting district. When they do something you like, let them know! When they do something you don’t like, let them know! Sometimes I feel like only special interest groups have influence over their members of Congress, but then I also wonder if the special interest groups are the only voices being heard because the rest of us just grumble about public policy in our kitchens.

| View Comments [7] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: bill   congress   house   joanne   law   legislation   representative   senate   senator   vote