Despite legal assistance, New Yorkers learn that lenders have little incentive to renegotiate their mortgages. Go to Source

New York State’s courts will end the year with their biggest caseload in history, and the trend is expected to extend nationally as economic stresses take their toll. Go to Source

The practice of stripping and selling items from homes scheduled for foreclosure appears to be worse in boom-and-bust regions. Go to Source

Homelessness is on the rise in New York City’s suburban communities, many of which are not equipped to handle the crisis. Go to Source

After six years of timely mortgage payments, a homeowner’s income dried up, and he fell behind. Go to Source

New guidelines for how second-lien holders might be paid in short sales are expected to improve the process for homeowners and banks, but they don’t go into effect until April 2010. Go to Source

The panel that oversees the financial bailout said that the program “can be credited with stopping an economic panic.” Go to Source

Lenders have so far made loan modification offers to just 680,000 borrowers, far short of the administration’s goal of up to four million. Go to Source

The Treasury’s mortgage-modification program relies on interest-rate reductions rather than principal cuts, which could cause a problem. Go to Source

Houses in foreclosure often sell for 15 to 20 percent less than comparable in the same neighborhood. Go to Source