Help Available for Prince William to Shed its "Crown" in Foreclosure Crisis
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October 17, 2008
Fairfax, VA - Virginia's Prince William County has been among those areas worst hit nationally by the foreclosure crisis, with Latinos in the area twice as likely to be facing serious trouble holding onto their homes.
The trend doesn't surprise James Scruggs, managing attorney for the Fairfax office of Legal Services of Northern Virginia. He believes Latinos were specifically targeted by predatory lenders hawking home loans they couldn't possibly afford.
"Everything is in Spanish - the advertising, the business cards, what have you - that is, until it comes time to the closing. Then suddenly everything is in English, all the documents, and it's all 'Hurry up and sign here.'"
Scruggs warns of a new crop of scams popping up to take advantage of people now facing foreclosure, and it's critical for those affected to get advice from the right sources. His advice for those struggling to pay their mortgage is to be wary of anyone offering a quick fix, for a price.
"It's important to realize that qualified housing counselors, who've been trained through HUD or the Virginia Housing and Development Authority, offer their services for free."
Scruggs' office, along with a handful of other consumer groups, will host a foreclosure avoidance and legal clinic on Saturday, Oct. 18, at St. Margaret's Episcopal Church in Woodbridge.