Helping Hand Foundation ready to assist

In response to the Dec. 28 editorial "Don't pay $500 for foreclosure service" by Sam Aitken of Culpeper Community Development, I would like to offer the following:

The Helping Hand Foundation (hhfnd.org) was founded to assist homebuyers and homeowners in making good fiscal decisions about homeownership. We help find a viable solution to their prob-lems, not judge them or "teach them a lesson." In fact, we commend them for being proactive in working to improve their situations.

Mr. Aitken wrote that he became aware of my company after I was quoted in an article about the local housing market and the mortgage crisis. Although I participated in a 10-minute interview for that article, it ultimately did not convey a complete picture of our services and policies. Like Mr. Aitken, I am listed as a HUD counselor, and I attended the same HUD loss mitigation class as he. I have counseled HUD clients in default and worked with their loan servicers to save their homes.

HHF is a nonprofit, privately funded organization - not a publicly funded government service - and is desperately needed. For many of the same reasons clients hire private attorneys instead of using a public defender, HHF clients know we have their best interest at heart. Additionally, much of our work has been pro bono.

The current buyer's market should be loudly emphasized and encouraged as a way to stabilize the housing market. With our help, potential buyers can make sound purchase decisions. As the next group of homebuyers enters the market, it is imperative they become thoroughly educated on credit and home ownership responsibilities to avoid another catastrophic market decline.

Our foundation is built on years of experience in the mortgage business, and our homebuyer counseling sessions are free.

One of our programs, "The Homeownership Path," provides advice for saving goals and developing credit for potential homebuyers. Using homeownership counseling software, we can set timelines and keep the potential buyers on the right path. We expect that new affiliations under development will help us offer even more services.

It has been reported that as of Dec. 12, there were 166 foreclosures - 105 in the town and 61 in the county. One of the main goals of Helping Hand Foundation is to prevent foreclosure.

Our clients are also counseled that they may negotiate independently with creditors, but we will be here for them if they are unsuccessful in their resolution attempts with their loan servicers. Mr. Aitken sums up his article by asserting that most people will lose their homes and hopefully learn a serious lesson.

While it is true that many will lose homes, every circumstance is different and we do our best to achieve an optimal outcome. With our assistance, some will even save their homes. At the very least, with sound direction they can limit the amount of damage to their financial future.

Dave Bryan is president of the Helping Hand Foundation of Warrenton.