Fannie Mae Opens Two New Mortgage Help Centers in Florida

""Fannie Mae"":http://www.fanniemae.com announced the opening this week of two facilities in Florida to provide free education and counseling services to struggling homeowners.

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The Tampa Mortgage Help Center will serve borrowers in the Tampa Bay area. The Tampa Bay Community Development Corporation (CDC), Greater Tampa Bay area community, and local elected officials partnered with Fannie to develop the center.

The Jacksonville Mortgage Help Center will provide counseling and assistance to homeowners in the Duval County region. It was developed in partnership with Wealth Watchers, Duval County community and elected officials, and area mortgage servicers.

With the opening of the Tampa and Jacksonville facilities, Fannie Mae has set up eight Mortgage Help Centers across the country in areas that have been hit particularly hard by the housing downturn and foreclosure crisis.

""Fannie Mae is committed to doing everything we can to make sure homeowners facing hardships know the options

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available to them and have access to the help they need,"" said Jeff Hayward, SVP of Fannie Mae's National Servicing Organization.

Hayward says these Mortgage Help Centers ""continue to provide services that empower homeowners to make informed decisions and help families stay rooted in their communities, a key part of our mission to bring stability to our nation's neighborhoods.""

Available to borrowers with Fannie Mae loans, the centers offer one-on-one consultations with experienced housing counselors to review mortgage loans and financing options, explain the range of options available, and help borrowers apply for loan workouts and other alternatives to foreclosure. Services are available in English and Spanish.

""Any additional resources that are brought to the region to help keep families in their homes are a benefit to the whole community,"" said Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn. ""We … encourage more efforts like this one that help bridge the gap in these difficult economic times.""

The Mortgage Help Center staff will also help homeowners coordinate with their mortgage servicers and ensure an efficient response time as well as combat mortgage fraud and abuse in the area. All services are free to families who have a mortgage owned by Fannie Mae.

""Jacksonville is proud to have been chosen as one of only a few cities in the country to have a Help Center like this available to its residents,"" said Jacksonville Mayor John Peyton. ""Many in our community struggle with where to go for help when faced with tough decisions regarding their mortgage. This center will serve as a great resource for information and will provide mortgage assistance to those who need it most.""