In an effort to reduce foreclosure rates among military families, Hope Now facilitated an event that brought together mortgage financiers and stakeholders with the focus being on prevention of foreclosure for military families.

The Servicemembers Civil Relief Act was introduced in 2003 as a way to protect active military personnel from certain civil actions. To comply with SCRA, servicers rely on field service companies to provide additional assistance through borrower outreach.

Mortgage loan rates continue to hit record lows not seen for nearly 60 years, but tight credit has made obtaining a home loan more difficult than ever. Meanwhile, gas prices now average nearly $4.00 per gallon, and industry experts predict $5.00 per gallon gas by Memorial Day. All this against a backdrop of the Dow Industrial Average, which is flirting with the 'magic' 13,000 number.

When a potential homebuyer is looking for a house, many variables are taken into account, but generally location, location, location are the top three. This becomes an especially important consideration if the family involved has children who will be attending public school. Homes in school districts with the most generously filled coffers and highest ratings are always in demand, despite downturns in the real estate market.