LAS VEGAS - It's not hard to find foreclosed homes in Las Vegas. "Everybody is struggling right now. It's a tough time in our city," said realtor Nichole Lavigne.
Carol White is one of the many homeowners facing those tough times. She's in pre-foreclosure and wants to modify her loan. "I have no where else to go if I lose it," she said. "So, I definitely want to get something that I can afford."
White is one of dozens of struggling homeowners who attended a seminar Tuesday night by local real estate experts and Metro Police. The seminar was designed to offer tips to people to avoid foreclosure. "I just need to see what the truth is of what can be done," White said.
"I just need some quick solutions, and I hope they can help me here," said struggling homeowner Beatrice Damphusse. "I lose sleep. I can't concentrate, because all I do is think what can I do? Because, I want to save my home."
Housing experts, realtors, lenders and accountants answered questions and offered insight. "A lot of people are just scared," Lavigne said. "They are in a situation that they don't know what to do. Some are in a more serious situation than others."
The experts also warned homeowners about possible foreclosure fraud scams. "People are trying to take advantage of the situation to get money out of people," said Metro Police Lt. Jack Owens. "I heard stories about it. So, I am very carefully on that respect," Damphusse said.
Experts say there is no simple solution to prevent foreclosure. But, homeowners do have options, including: selling, modifying, or walking away. Experts urge people to consider the option that best suits their situation. "There are solutions that are better than others, and we want to try to make good decisions," Lavigne said. "Ultimately if we can, we want to try to keep people in their homes."
Organizers say they are planning more of these seminars, but dates and times have not yet been released.
