
OAKLAND, Calif., March 27, 2008
Renters Caught Up In Foreclosure Crisis
38 Percent Of Foreclosed Properties Are Rentals, And Most Banks Won't Allow Tenants To Stay
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Play CBS Video Video Renters Losing Homes, Too The economic slowdown began in the housing market, and falling prices there led to the current foreclosure crisis. But it isn't just owners losing their homes, but renters as well. Ben Tracy reports.
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Adrianna Diharce and her husband Jesse rent a home that's been foreclosed. (CBS)
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"We've been good renters," Diharce said. "We paid on time."
What they did not know is that the owner of the home they've been renting near Oakland, Calif., wasn't paying her mortgage - and the bank foreclosed on the property at the worst possible time, CBS News correspondent Ben Tracy reports.
"We were shocked. I mean it's just horrible," Diharce said. "I'm about to deliver, you know have another baby and they're about to auction off the house."
"This basically says you have 30 days to leave. What are you going to do?" Tracy asked her.
"I don't know," she said.
Thirty-eight percent of foreclosures now involve rental properties. That's at least 168,000 households nationwide.
In states as Nevada, Illinois and New York, the numbers are even higher.
"In most states, foreclosure itself automatically terminates a tenancy," said housing attorney Judith Liben.
Liben, who works for the Massachusetts Law Reform Institute, said most banks simply won't deal with renters.
"The banks try to get them out as fast as possible, and this happens everywhere," Liben said.
And so brokers representing the banks often offer what's called "cash for keys:" a payoff to get the renter out quickly.
"The offer was $2,500 to leave," Diharce said, within 14 days.
Oakland City Attorney John Russo says many renters get a much worse deal.
"The person gets a notice from the bank saying, 'hello, your rent is now $10,000 a month. If you can't pay it, time to leave.'"
And this is often what happens - you end up with an abandoned, boarded up house that drives down property values in the neighborhood and ironically can make it even harder for the bank to sell.
Families like Diharce's are left with few good options.
"You don't even own the property and you're being faced with foreclosure," she said. "It's horrible."
Especially when you've played by the rules - and still lost.
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Michelle Obama tells how her role as the First Lady has changed her perspective.





Vote Dr Ron Paul he is the only one that will shut this illegal bank down
this is only the beginning, hang on and take your money out of every bank and credic union and funds and run to hide it all..put under mattress
Last week, the company announced it agreed to sell the servicing rights to some $1.9 billion of its securitized mortgage loans to a subsidiary of Carrington Capital Management LLC for an undisclosed amount.
so i would guess it was penny on the dollar, for all that money...so who said they could sell 1.9 billion for pennys on the dollar???
i would do that to!!!! to keep my home...so why cant we do that????
For a unique perspective on the foreclosure crisis, check out, nationalforeclosureblog.blogspot.com
This isn''t spame I just think it is interesting.
Once again Paulson defended the government''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''s role in coming to the aid of Bear Stearns - which has been criticized by some Democrats and others as akin to a federal bailout.
AND 100 MILLION AMERICANS ARE FACEING BANKRUPY, SO WERE IS MY BAILOUT..AND WE DIDN''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''T LIE ABOUT THE VALUE OF OUR HOMES..THEY DID,
"Bear Stearns found itself facing bankruptcy,"
Paulson said. "The Federal Reserve acted promptly to resolve the Bear Stearns situation and avoid a disorderly wind-down. It is the job of regulators to come together to address times such as this; and we did so. Our focus was the stability and orderliness of our financial markets."
Paulson said the administration will explore ways to help struggling homeowners at risk of losing their homes.
In addition, he rejected the need for a "systemwide solution" to deal with homeowners who have no equity in their home. That''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''s when one''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''s mortgage eclipses the value of their home.
Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke recently urged lenders loans.SAYING 30 OR 40 OR EVEN 50 PERCENT REFI IS BETTER THAN A BURN DOWN HOME..
www.checktherental.com
- by mcv57 March 27, 2008 10:43 PM EDT
- You can tell that the state and local government is protecting the bank''s interest. Indeed, you can sue the landlord and the bank jointly (for the cost of moving/ relocating) in a breach of contract.
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