Hope@Home -- Facing the Mortgage Crisis in Southern Nevada -- National Public Radio

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Las Vegas was recently a new kind of boomtown, but today it has the country's highest foreclosure rate. American RadioWorks takes a hard, sober look to find out what happens to the American Dream after foreclosure and how residents are trying to build new lives. Listen to M3U | Download MP3

All Things Considered

Hard Times: A place for people to share personal stories about their journey through the recession

Fresh Air: Elizabeth Warren: Foreclosures Threaten Economy

Panel chairwoman Elizabeth Warren joins Fresh Air to discuss the foreclosure problem — and what can be done about it.

The new digital pyramid scheme

The latest pyramid scheme comes to us in a new format: personalized videos. Rico Gagliano reports on what some people are referring to as "cash gifting."

Gov't to push slow mortgage lenders

The government will try to shame banks into helping out homeowners facing foreclosure by publishing a list of lenders who are slow to lower interest rates. John Dimsdale reports.

New protections for mortgage holders

The Obama administration plans today to help protect mortgage holders falling behind on monthly payments from foreclosure. Alisa Roth explores how new plans will change the current program.

Life goes on after foreclosure

Stories of families in the throes of losing their homes are all over the news. But what happens to those families -- and the homes -- after the foreclosure is final? Krissy Clark visits a couple in Las Vegas to find out.

Home-selling's short sale headaches

In effort to avoid foreclosure and preserve their credit rating, some are willing to sell their homes for less than they owe on the mortgage. But even taking a loss isn't always as easy as it sounds. Peter O'Dowd reports.

Defaulting? Throw a party

A jaw-dropping statistic out today: 1 in 4 homeowners now owes more on their mortgage than the house is worth. Being under water on a home must be some kind of awful. Or is it? We have a good case study to discuss.

Things are looking up for home values

Home prices rose for a fourth-straight month in September, according to the latest Case-Shiller Home Price Index. Marketplace's John Dimsdale tells host Steve Chiotakis what the rising prices mean for a housing market hit hard by the recession.

Houses still selling to the lowest bidder

Online database RealtyTrac says foreclosure rates aren't going to peak until next year. Which is good news for auction houses rattling off prices to an increasing number of bidders. Sean Cole visits a foreclosure auction in Boston.

Are realtors becoming more realistic?

Realtors have been criticized for playing a cheerleading role during the height of the housing bubble. But at a National Association of Realtors convention, Jeff Tyler found out that these days, there's a hint of pragmatism going around.

Labor groups call for banking reforms

Labor union activists are rallying in Washington, D.C. calling for Congress to enact tougher reforms on Wall Street, including limits on bank sizes and oversight of risky investments. Mitchell Hartman reports.

Investors in apartments are squeezed

Before the financial crisis, real estate investors saw potential profits everywhere. Now their properties aren't worth what they sold for, and it's turning into a problem for middle- and working-class renters. Alisa Roth reports.

Middle-Class and Upper-Income Household Foreclosures

In the last three months banks have foreclosed on nearly a million homes -- up almost 25% over last year. And such actions are spreading to more middle-class and upper-income neighborhoods. Curt Nickisch reports.

Marketplace: NACA Save The Dream Tour

NACA -- the Neighborhood Assistance Corporation of America -- is an advocacy group that pressures banks to modify home loans. That can range from lowering the interest rate to cutting the total amount owed on the home.

The tour is funded with federal grant money. Plus, the lenders who cooperate with NACA pay the organization up to $500 for every borrower who makes the modified payments on time for three months. Banks have an incentive; foreclosures are expensive and some return on a property is better than none.

Marketplace: Foreclosure Scams on the Rise

People facing foreclosure are becoming vulnerable to scammers promising to help modify loans. Reporter Rachel Dornhelm reports on one such scam in Oakland, Calif. and asks experts what consumers can do to stay safe.