How to avoid foreclosure, scam artists

Sometimes, they are from the government and they are here to help. And they do.

The Supreme Court’s Foreclosure Mediation Program established by lawmakers in 2009 in an effort to stave off a complete meltdown in the housing market is showing a glimmer of success with 90 percent of those in the program avoiding foreclosure and 74 percent of them retaining their homes.

With a case management system up and running, program workers have come up with accurate numbers.

Number of Notices of Default reported by Nevada Counties: 79,232*

Number of mediations requested: 8,738

Number of mediations completed by program: 4,212

Percentage of mediations not ending in foreclosure: 90%

Percentage of homeowners who retain their homes after participating in mediation: 74%

Number of mediators trained and appointed: 250

* This number reflects residential and commercial properties in Nevada, including vacant land, apartments, non-owner occupied and owner-occupied housing. The total does not include Notices of Default filed by Homeowner Associations.

The program is training additional mediators to help ease the backlog. Lenders are required to be active participants in mediations.

Call 702 486-9380 for assistance in Southern Nevada, 775 687-9816 in Northern Nevada, or 888 421-3004 outside of Nevada. And don't enter into any agreement with anyone claiming they can help you avoid foreclosure. They are predators.