Chase Opens Foreclosure Help Center

Nothing is more frustrating for financially-strapped homeowners than calling their lenders and not getting through to the right person.

Some Tampa Bay area homeowners now have a place to go to meet face-to-face with a loan counselor.

The Chase Homeownership Center opened Thursday and will serve those with loans owned or serviced by Chase, Washington Mutual or EMC, all of which are now part of JPMorgan Chase.

"Many people avoid their lender," said Nancy Norris, Chase spokesperson. "We want to work it out. We have tools we can use to help people, depending on their situation."

It's the first such center to open in the country, and the Mortgage Bankers Association said more should follow suit.

"In 50 percent of the cases where a home went to foreclosure, there was never any communication between the borrower and the lender," said John Mechem, a spokesman for the association.

Chase plans to open 24 homeownership centers across the country this year. Five of them are in Florida.

The Tampa center is at 4919 Memorial Highway.

The locations were based on the number of troubled loans in each area, Norris said. She wouldn't say how many troubled loans Chase has in the Tampa Bay area but did say that the region stood out.

Judi Lockhart, regional manager for the East Coast centers, said Chase has been working on the plans since last fall. President Barack Obama's recently announced mortgage plan, however, gives the lender additional tools to help homeowners.

So, what kind of help can homeowners expect? Some options include lower interest rates, loan extensions or lower monthly mortgage payments.

Chase held a grand opening Thursday and shared information with counselors from local nonprofit groups that work with troubled homeowners.

Walter Walker Jr., of Tampa's Housing & Education Alliance Inc., welcomed the center and said he plans to visit it frequently. He'll bring along case files from some of his 200 clients.

"I will be here," he said. "I've already given them heads-up warning."

The center is for customers who are already behind on their mortgage and want to avoid foreclosure.

"We now have tools available to do temporary modifications," Norris said.

A HELPING HAND

Homeowners facing foreclosure can get face-to-face help at the new Chase Homeownership Center in Tampa. But not everyone is eligible. The program is for borrowers who are behind on mortgage payments and have loans serviced by Chase, Washington Mutual or EMC.

Walk-ins are welcome but appointments are recommended and can be made by calling (813) 880-6400. Customers who have made mortgage payments on time but fear falling behind can call 1-866-550-5705.