Face of Foreclosure Project Launched

Across Florida, people are struggling to deal with some of the aftershocks caused by the current economy, including the alarming rise in foreclosed homes that's devastating families and communities.

To gain a better understanding of foreclosure, the people who are affected by it and the impact it has on their lives, the Florida Association of Realtors (FAR) has initiated “The Face of Foreclosure" project _ aimed at gathering as much information as possible about the problem.

The association is launching a Web site at www.floridafaceofforeclosure.com "to better define the true face of foreclosure in Florida,” said 2009 FAR President Cynthia Shelton, in a statement. “Our goal is to ask consumers – especially those who have personally experienced foreclosure – to visit the Web site and take a survey to help us compile this vitally needed research. We are discovering that in most cases, many victims of foreclosure believe they were never more than a loan number or a case number."

The Florida Association of Realtors recently received a $97,000 grant from the National Association of Realtors to assist with foreclosure prevention and to promote awareness.

The state association purchased radio announcements to educate consumers about foreclosure prevention resources, and will continue to provide educational materials and support efforts aimed at prevention. The group has also undertaken a research project that will foster a more thorough understanding of foreclosure trends throughout the state, said John Sebree, FAR’s vice president of public policy.

“As part of this project, we are currently examining the past three years of Florida foreclosure data from numerous sources, which we expect will shed light on some of the reasons for disparities in foreclosure information reported in the media,” he said.