Many homeowners in my congressional district are worried about payingtheir mortgages or are facing foreclosure. The first line of defense thatCongress has provided is free foreclosure prevention counseling. Irecommend that concerned homeowners first call one of the counselinghotlines and then, if necessary, consult one of the free, HUD-approved,free counseling services serving Montgomery County and Prince George’sCounty.

DO NOT pay anyone up front who promises to help you fix your mortgageproblem. These are scammers!

In cases in which a counselor cannot help or in which you have gonedirectly to your lender but have not had success, I may be able to help.Please call my district office at (301) 424-3501. Before I can contactyour lender, the Privacy Act of 1974 requires that you give me yourwritten authorization. To do this, please complete the Privacy Release Form, alongwith your loan number, the name of your lender and a brief description ofyour difficulty. Please return it to me at the following address:

FAX: (301) 424-5992

• Housing Counseling
• Housing Scams, Predatory Loans, Credit Agency Harassment
• Foreclosure Prevention Websites

Housing Counseling:

1-877-462-7555 --Hotline for State of Maryland’s HUD-approved housingcounselors. Spanish-speaking counselors are available.

888-995-HOPE (4673) -- National HUD-sponsored hotline identifies housingcounselors trained to help individual homeowners develop a plan of actionto prevent foreclosure or work with lenders to find a solution. Servicesare free. Spanish-speaking counselors are available.

Counselors serving Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties: For a list ofHUD-Approved Housing Counseling Agencies and their phone numbers, pleasego to www.mdhope.org.

Housing Scams, Predatory Loans, CreditAgency Harassment:

1-888-784-0136 -- Hotline to report possible mortgage fraud orforeclosure rescue scams. Spanish-speaking homeowners can call the abovenumber or 410-230-6365 or 410-767-0392. These numbers are sponsored bythe Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation (DLLR).

Foreclosure Prevention Websites:

www.mdhope.org – State of Maryland’sforeclosure prevention website.   Explains how to prevent foreclosure anddescribes the State of Maryland’s programs to assist homeowners. Listsforeclosure prevention workshops in Maryland.

www.MakingHomeAffordable.govand www.FinancialStability.gov -Websites sponsored by the U.S. Department of the Treasury that providedetailed information about the Administration’s Making Home Affordableprogram.

www.HUD.gov – U.S. Department ofHousing and Urban Development website. Provides information onforeclosure prevention and describes Federal Housing Administration (FHA)loans targeted to help homeowners in distress.

www.montgomerycountymd.gov -Montgomery County’s Department of Housing and Community Affairs website.Type “foreclosure prevention” in the search box.

www.995hope.org – HomeownershipPreservation Foundation website. Click “How We Can Help,” then “ContactUs” for an On-line Counseling session.

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