Maryland Housing Counselors Network Conference Brings Together the Best Practitioners in the Field

By: Felix Torres Colon, Executive Director, NHS of Baltimore

I recently had the pleasure to attend Counselor Connection, the Maryland Housing Counselors Network, 2009 conference and annual meeting. The Network is a professional and networking organization of over 70 housing counseling and affordable housing organizations from across the state. The conference was excellent and I drew some important lessons from it.

First, the commitments, passions and skills of the state’s counselors are amazing. I have never seen folks given such an impossible task, stem the foreclosure crisis, take it on with such gusto and creativity. Facing overwhelming caseloads, recalcitrant servicers and no respite in sight, they are doing the job, getting more efficient and making a huge difference. Special thanks go out to Michelle McKiver, Rena Somar, and Shaneece Hudson, our own homeownership advisors.

Second, the scammers and con artists are getting rich off of the misfortunes of our neighbors. These so called loan modification experts or foreclosure rescue services are reeking havoc. Representatives of the Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation shared their great efforts to shut them down. They are doing a great job, but scammers are still attracting victims and stealing their money. We need to do all we can to help folks avoid these predators. If you hear anything suspicious or see something too good to be true, call DLLR. The sooner they know about a scam, the faster they can shut it down. Some signs to look out for:

Upfront fees for assistance
Guarantees that loans will be modified
Promises that mortgage principles will be reduced
High pressure sales tactics

Finally, as Tim Adams, Mid-Atlantic District Director of NeighborWorks® America, shared, there is a silver lining to this crisis. Housing counseling is being recognized as a crucial step to preparing homebuyers to make the right choices- leading to sustainable homeownership. Organizations like NHS of Baltimore have said this for years. People are finally listening.

Congratulations to the network for a fine and educational event.