Check us out on NPR

Today, NPR interviewed me about foreclosures for its "Here and Now" show, broadcast nationally.

You can check out the segment at http://www.hereandnow.org/.

We talked about the ongoing increase in people losing homes and problems with the federal foreclosure prevention program, including shortfalls of recent changes intended to help the unemployed. (Go to the "more coverage" section of this blog to read my stories about the problem.)


We also talked about Bank of America's efforts to improve modification results, including its recent pledge of speedier responses to customers and its program to write off principal on certain especially troubled mortgages.

In testimony this week before Congress, the Charlotte bank's top mortgage executive said hundreds of thousands of its customers haven't paid their mortgage in more than a year. Wow. In another sign of the distressed volume, the bank says it gets more than 125,000 calls a day from customers who need help with their mortgages.

Continued job losses are really complicating efforts to save homes. Save Your Home will have more on that soon.

What do you think could be done to help prevent foreclosures as unemployment remains high?

Did you get a mortgage modification while receiving unemployment benefits? I'd like to hear from you. Email me at shopkins@charlotteobserver.com.