Foreclosure can be humiliating and the latest numbers from RealtyTrac reveal that nearly 21,000 homes in the Bay area had filings since January of this year.
Cathy Ford does not need to see the statistics. She knows what it feels like first-hand.
"It really is hard and you’re doing just what you’re supposed to do and they can just come take your house. I just don’t understand it," said Ford.
"They're frightened that they're going to lose their home. Some of them are prideful," said Deborah Scanlan, CEO of Neighborhood Home Solutions in St. Petersburg.
They provide free counseling for anyone looking for help with foreclosures, rebuilding credit, or education about homebuying.
Ford was referred to NHS and was happy to see some options.
"We help determine what, based on their situation, what is the best route to take," said Scanlan.
"They just got on ball and started getting all of my paperwork done,” said Ford. “They did get me a modification with a new lender which I have now great payment arrangements, everything is good. With that said, you know, they sold my property again.”
Bryan Belcher of Smith and Associates Real Estate said the numbers may be a result of banks only now processing the paperwork for foreclosures that occurred months or even years ago. He said it is a trend we could see for the next two to three years.
Ford's situation is a result of her mortgage being sold over and over again. She said she has never missed a payment and has put her dreams of putting a pool in on hold because her husband was fearful that their investment would be taken from them along with the home they have had since 1990.
"He doesn’t know what the next step is. You’re spending money to do this and then someone comes in and takes your house," said Ford.
Neighborhood Home Solutions is helping Ford with the paperwork necessary to work with her new mortgage company. It is giving her hope in the fight to save her home.
The only state with more foreclosures in June of 2012 than Florida is California. On the other end of the spectrum, North Dakota only saw three foreclosure filings in June.