CEO Mortgage Foreclosure Counseling Program
CEO, working in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency (PHFA), the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas Mortgage Foreclosure Diversionary Program, assists homeowners who are "at risk" of losing their homes.
CEO works to alleviate the causes and effects of homeownership difficulties in Luzerne County. The organization successfully met the qualifications and high-performance standards of homeownership education and counseling and was officially recognized as an “Adopter” of the National Industry Standard for Homeownership Education and Counseling. As a “HUD Approved” Housing Counseling Agency, CEO's Housing Counseling staff conduct face-to-face interviews with at-risk homeowners, obtaining basic demographic information, lender and loan information, and the reason for delinquency. A written action plan with a verifiable budget profile is developed for follow-up activities and eligibility determination for both in-house and governmentally-sponsored mortgage modification and rescue products.
CEO is a HUD Approved Housing Counseling Agency.
Factors increasing the risk of homeownership difficulties include:
- over-extended homeowners with credit card debt or high medical expenses
- energy-related heating and cooling costs
- the resetting of adjustable rate mortgages
- the unemployment rate
- unsustainable homeownership due to increased consumer access to mortgage products which allow for lower down payments, lower savings balances, high loan-to-value ratios, and the requirement of lower credit scores to buy a home
- the lack of financial education among borrowers, ranging from understanding the economics of interest rates to the importance of paying bills on time.
CEO serves as the lead agency for the Luzerne County Court of Common Pleas Mortgage Foreclosure Diversionary Program, which began in November 2010 under the administration of the Honorable Judge Lewis Wetzel and the Honorable Judge Joseph Cosgrove. The program transitioned in 2012 under the administration of the Honorable Judge Leza S. Gelb. During the Court sessions, CEO’s certified mortgage foreclosure housing counseling staff mediates between the homeowner, the lender and the attorneys representing both parties.
The Luzerne County Mortgage Foreclosure Divisionary program mediations are held on the Third Floor of the Luzerne County Courthouse, 200 N. River Street, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
For more information, contact CEO at 1-800-822-0359
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