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From the 3/29/07 Enquirer: Lender halts Ohio foreclosures BY JON NEWBERRY | [email protected] New Century Financial Corp. has agreed to halt all foreclosures in Ohio while state regulators and law enforcement officials determine if any of the loans violated predatory lending laws, Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann’s office said. “New Century has taken a good faith step by agreeing to let us review its documents before any further foreclosures are acted upon in Ohio,” Dann said in a statement. “I want to make sure consumers are in a mortgage loan they can afford and not one agreed to under false pretenses.” Each foreclosure will be examined for evidence of predatory lending practices as part of the review process. If bad business practices are discovered, New Century will be obligated to postpone action on that loan until the company makes corrective measures that are approved by the state, the attorney general’s office said. One option might be reworking the original loan to make it affordable for the consumer, it said. ... More at: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070329/BIZ01/303290042/-1/rss

From the 3/27/07 Blade: '06 STATEWIDE STUDY Toledo region hit hard by foreclosures By JON CHAVEZ BLADE BUSINESS WRITER Defiance County had the biggest jump in home foreclosures last year from the year before, and Lucas County was the only northwest county with fewer people for every filing than the statewide average. Ten area counties had larger foreclosure growth in the past 10 years than the statewide average, according to a report released yesterday by Policy Matters Ohio, a Cleveland think tank. Ohio and the Toledo region have been socked lately by numbers of people whose houses are in some stage of being seized because the mortgages were not paid on time. ... More at: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070327/BUSINESS05/70327040/-1/RSS13

Link contains photos. From the 3/25/07 Toledo Blade: REAL ESTATE For some buyers, subprime mortgage is only route to home By GARY T. PAKULSKI BLADE BUSINESS WRITER FORCED TO LEAVE his job as a Christian pastor in Pennsylvania because of illness, Jeff Beatty moved with his wife and four teenage children to a $300-a-month mountain home he unapologetically calls a "dump." "We had to clean up 50 pounds of rat [droppings] before we could move in," the 45-year-old West Toledo resident recalled. "The only heat was a wood stove." At a time when airwaves and news columns are filled with complaints from people who feel they've been ripped off by subprime lenders, Mr. Beatty is a satisfied customer. ... More at: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070325/BUSINESS05/703240340/-1/RSS04

From the 3/23/07 News-Herald: Geauga seeks to foreclose Officials meet to discuss foreclosure process, learn why foreclosures are up By: Diane Ryder [email protected] 03/23/2007 Eighteen Geauga County officials held a brainstorming session Thursday afternoon to discuss the burgeoning property foreclosures in the county, and to plan strategies to combat what they consider a serious economic problem. Commissioners sponsored the meeting with representatives from departments that deal with foreclosures, including the courts, treasurer, auditor, prosecutor, job and family services, the sheriff and community development. "It seems to be a systemic problem, understanding debt," Commissioner Mary Samide said. ... More at: http://www.news-herald.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=18117656&BRD=1698&PAG=461&dept_id=21849&rfi=6

From the 3/15/07 PD: Dann slams door on subprime lender Thursday, March 15, 2007 Patrick O'Donnell Plain Dealer Reporter Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann has joined a string of state officials around the country blocking the troubled New Century Financial Corp. from operating in their states. At Dann's request, the Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court ordered the company on Wednesday to halt business for 15 days. Dann said he will seek a longer-term ban by the end of that period. The order, from Judge Eileen Gallagher, stops New Century from starting any new loans, collecting fees and pursuing any new or existing foreclosures. New Century has issued loans through independent brokers and through Home123 and New Century Mortgage. ... More at: http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/117394906698200.xml&coll=2

From the 3/14/07 Youngstown Vindicator: Trumbull Co. tackles predatory lending A local Realtor says he's watched predatory lending at work for years. By ED RUNYAN VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF WARREN — Trumbull County Prosecutor Dennis Watkins has begun a collaboration with the Ohio attorney general's office to attack predatory lending problems in the county. "It's a problem in this area. It deserves investigation and prosecution in some instances," Watkins said. Ed Kraus, co-managing attorney in the attorney general's Cleveland office, said he has begun to contact all of the county prosecutors in his region. He's offering the office's assistance in investigating and prosecuting the predatory lending aspects of the Ohio Consumer Sales Practices Act that went into effect Jan. 1. ... More at: http://www.vindy.com/content/local_regional/345211594443859.php

From the AP, 3/8/07: State wants foreclosure answers THE ASSOCIATED PRESS COLUMBUS – A special task force has been formed to look at ways to cut down on home foreclosures in Ohio, which has among the highest rates in the nation. The Foreclosure Prevention Task Force will include representatives from state and local government, lenders and nonprofit consumer groups, Gov. Ted Strickland said in a news release Wednesday. It will be chaired by Kim Zurz, director of the Ohio Department of Commerce. About 3.3 percent of Ohio homes and small apartment buildings were in foreclosure in October through December, the highest rate of any state and three times the national rate of 1.1 percent, said a study by the Mortgage Bankers Association. Ohio’s rate has been higher than the national average for every quarter since the end of 1998. ... More at: http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070308/NEWS01/303080012/-1/rss

From the 3/4/07 Toledo Blade: * PHOTO: Sam Coles prepares the kitchen for remodeling at a foreclosed house bought by One Way Properties near Ottawa Park. ( THE BLADE/HERRAL LONG ) * PHOTO: A house near Ottawa Park is being rehabbed by Mr. Dewood. ( THE BLADE/HERRAL LONG ) * PHOTO: Rod Culler, a Toledo real estate agent specializing in foreclosed properties, urges getting professional inspections. ( THE BLADE/HERRAL LONG ) Foreclosures open doors for area investors By GARY T. PAKULSKI BLADE BUSINESS WRITER NO CARPET. No kitchen. No problem. Those sort of defects don't scare away Toledo real estate investor Matt Dewood when he finds a house in a popular area where he knows he can turn a nice profit by giving the place a facelift. With foreclosures soaring across northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan, the 30-year-old investor who specializes in "flipping" houses has plenty of prospects - and not just ramshackle places in older areas of Toledo. ... More at: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070304/BUSINESS05/703030334/-1/RSS13

From the 2/28/07 DDN: Lovelace backs laws to put halt to predatory lending By Joanne Huist Smith Staff Writer Wednesday, February 28, 2007 DAYTON — — City Commissioner Dean Lovelace believes that state regulation of predatory mortgage lending isn't good enough, the practice must be stopped. He's calling on Dayton residents to come together and fight for the right to decide "for ourselves" what is best for the people living in this community and to pass laws to protect homeowners. As many as 50 people came out to the Dayton Cultural and RTA Center, 40 Sprague St., for a forum Lovelace sponsored Tuesday night to address actions by Ohio legislators to prevent cities from passing local anti-predatory lending laws. ... More at: http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/02/28/ddn022807predatory.html

From the 2/27/07 PD: Attorney general's staff to focus on predatory lending Tuesday, February 27, 2007 Reginald Fields Plain Dealer Bureau Columbus - The state attorney general's office will hire three attorneys and three investigators dedicated solely to cracking down on unscrupulous housing lenders. The State Controlling Board on Monday unanimously approved the agency's $500,000 request for the new hires, including a secretarial position and equipment, to formally launch a predatory-lending task force. The task force, which already exists in a skeletal form with about five lawyers in the attorney general's Cleveland office, will become a recognized unit of Attorney General Marc Dann's office and be headquartered in Cleveland. ... More at: http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/117256883976500.xml&coll=2

From the 2/25/07 DDN: Foreclosed properties mean opportunities for financial institutions, auctioneers, potential buyers An auction firm plans to sell area properties at sale. By Lisa Bernard Staff Writer Sunday, February 25, 2007 DAYTON — More than 20 residential properties in the region are slated for the auction block in the coming weeks, as the nation's largest auction firm of foreclosed properties makes it's way to Dayton. Dallas-headquartered Hudson & Marshall's is planning an Ohio tour in early March, in which the company is slated to auction off 186 properties on behalf of several national lenders. The firm will be in Fairborn on March 6 to auction off local properties valued between $5,000 and $250,0000 located in Middletown, Dayton, Springboro and Fairborn. ... More at: http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/business/2007/02/24/ddn022507foreclosureauctions.html

From the 2/22/07 PD: Foreclosures high under any ranking Thursday, February 22, 2007 Olivera Perkins Plain Dealer Reporter Ohio had the eighth highest foreclosure rate in the country, according to a recent report by a real estate Web site. Greater Cleveland ranked 14th among the 100 largest American metropolitan areas, according to RealtyTrac Inc. Does this mean that Ohio no longer has the highest foreclosure rate in the country? ... More at: http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1172136736156970.xml&coll=2

Link contains photo. From the 2/20/07 Wilmington News Journal: Treasurer talks foreclosures Numbers high for Clinton County Gary Huffenberger Staff Writer New state Treasurer Richard Cordray, who was keynote speaker for a Clinton County Democratic Party fund-raiser on Monday, takes an avid interest in the problem of home foreclosure in Ohio, and as Franklin County treasurer he called a foreclosure summit in December 2005. Clinton County has not escaped the statewide problem of mortgage default and foreclosure, as shown by the 216 foreclosure filings during 2005 in the county, 241 the year before and 217 the year before that. Cordray said there are three main factors for the upsurge in foreclosures around Ohio. ... More at: http://www.wnewsj.com/main.asp?SectionID=49&SubSectionID=156&ArticleID=153145

From the 2/13/07 DDN: Ohio 7th, Dayton area 51st for January foreclosures By Lisa Bernard Staff Writer Tuesday, February 13, 2007 DAYTON — Ohio ranked seventh in the nation for foreclosure filings during the month of January, according to data released by California-based RealtyTrac. Last month the Buckeye state saw 8,504 foreclosure filings, a figure that represents a 15.7 percent increase over December filings and a 2.8 percent increase over the same period in 2006, RealtyTrac reported. The Dayton region, which included data collected from Greene, Miami, Montgomery and Prebble counties, was ranked 51st among metropolitan statistical areas with 605 foreclosures in January. ... More at: http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/business/2007/02/13/DDN021307foreclosures.html

Both from the 2/11/07 Lorain Morning Journal: Foreclosures on the rise SCOT ALLYN, Morning Journal Writer 02/11/2007 LORAIN -- When Nancy Malone's grandmother died in 2002, the family wanted to keep her house, and Nancy and her husband Jim Malone (not their real names) were able to move in. They couldn't know it at the time, but the happy prospect of owning a home would lead the Malones to join the growing ranks of borrowers who get in over their heads. They looked forward to leaving the house they had been renting in Sheffield Township, since the grandmother's home was larger, and the Malones would be able to have a dog there. The storage space appealed to Nancy, and the couple would have a garage for the first time. ... More at: http://www.morningjournal.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17838311&BRD=1699&PAG=461&dept_id=46371&rfi=6 Ohio going after predatory lenders SCOT ALLYN, Morning Journal Writer 02/11/2007 COLUMBUS -- As more and more home owners across the state lose their homes to foreclosure, Ohio's new attorney general wants to put predatory lenders behind bars. Marc Dann, elected to the state's top law enforcement post in November, said he is eager to enforce the Ohio Homebuyers' Protection Act. The law was passed last year to prevent mortgage brokers or loan officers from using coercive or misleading tactics to prey on borrowers. It went into effect Jan. 1. ''We look forward to having the public call us, if they think they've been victimized,'' said Dann. Since the law is so new, no cases have been started yet. ... More at: http://www.morningjournal.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17838297&BRD=1699&PAG=461&dept_id=46371&rfi=6

From the 2/9/07 Dispatch: Effort helps fight foreclosure Program kept 195 area families from losing homes Friday, February 09, 2007 Tracy Turner THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Nearly 200 Franklin County families have kept their homes from foreclosure, thanks to a 9-month-old effort by a group of nonprofit organizations. According to findings to be released today outlining the efforts of the Ohio Foreclosure Prevention Initiative, 195 families in the county were able to avoid foreclosure and 4,000 families statewide were counseled on where to find help to avoid losing their homes. "Getting access to help early is the big issue," said Amy Klaben, president and CEO of the Columbus Housing Partnership, which is working with NeighborWorks America to promote the foreclosure-prevention initiative. ... More at: http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/contentbe/dispatch/2007/02/09/20070209-G1-00.html

From Business First of Columbus, 2/5/07: Legal Issues New legislation attacks problems in residential real estate lending Business First of Columbus - February 2, 2007 by Brent D. Rosenthal For Business First The word crisis has often been used in connection with Ohio's residential real estate market, and it's hard to argue with that description. Nation-leading foreclosure rates, along with stories of rampant consumer fraud, grab the headlines but they are only the tip of a very large iceberg. As the Ohio legislature saw the situation, these were mere symptoms of rampant systemic problems that required extensive legislation to fix. So, last year the legislature passed and former Gov. Taft signed Senate Bill 185, affecting virtually the entire residential lending industry. The law became effective Jan. 1. S.B. 185 is sweeping in its scope. It is designed to remedy numerous abuses consumers endure at several different stages in mortgage lending transactions, as well as to close an information gap suffered by consumers unfamiliar with complex lending and closing processes. ... More at: http://columbus.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2007/02/05/focus6.html

All from the 2/4/07 DDN: Mortgage scams built on promises leave nightmares in wake Task force accuses man, accomplices in $22 million scheme in 3-year period. By Ken McCall Staff Writer Sunday, February 04, 2007 DAYTON — The modest house at 23 Hanover Ave. sits abandoned, windows broken, partially stripped of its aluminum siding, the back door standing open to the weather and the interior trashed. The property, just off West Third Street and a block outside city limits, is just one of the casualties, investigators say, of a tidal wave of mortgage fraud that has inundated Montgomery County and Dayton in particular over the last six years. It is also one of the properties that figures in a federal case set to open Tuesday before Judge Walter Rice that accuses Randall Aaron Davidson and three accomplices of 14 counts of mortgage fraud involving hundreds of cases. ... More at: http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/02/04/ddn020407flip.html Task force hot on heels of housing con artists A series of odd property sales raises officials' suspicions. Now law enforcers are targeting people who engage in scams involving deteriorated homes. By Ken McCall Staff Writer Sunday, February 04, 2007 DAYTON — Back in 2001, as the explosion in mortgage foreclosures in Montgomery County was just taking off, county Treasurer Hugh Quill and his staff noticed a strange phenomenon. Properties began churning through the system with prices that would climb and dive like a roller coaster. A property would be sold at a low price, often at a sheriff's foreclosure auction, and a short time later it would sell at a very high price, only to come back through at a low price, often in foreclosure again. Then they started noticing that owners of properties bought in foreclosure were coming before the Board of Revision to appeal the appraised values, which were often artificially high. ... More at: http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/02/04/ddn020407flipinside.html 'The appraisers ... are clearly enablers' While no appraisers have been charged by the task force, officials say they're integral to the scam. By Ken McCall Staff Writer Sunday, February 04, 2007 DAYTON — No appraisers have been indicted so far in any cases investigated by the inter-agency Montgomery County Mortgage Fraud Task Force, but officials say that's not because appraisers aren't involved in mortgage fraud. In fact, officials say, virtually every mortgage fraud scheme out there — and there are many — requires an appraiser to make an artificially inflated estimate of the value of a property. It's that value inflation that makes the fraudulent mortgage loans profitable. "The appraisers in these kinds of scams are clearly enablers," said Dwight Keller, the assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the task force cases. "Without inflated appraisals, the process really couldn't get off the ground." ... More at: http://www.daytondailynews.com/n/content/oh/story/news/local/2007/02/04/ddn020407flipsidebar.html

From the 2/2/07 Blade: * GRAPHIC: Local foreclosures Foreclosures soar in a few area counties Sandusky, Monroe hit hard as plants close, wages drop By JULIE M. McKINNON BLADE BUSINESS WRITER First came easy-to-get loans and persuasions to spend as much as possible buying houses. Then came closures and downsizings at Sandusky County employers Dixon Ticonderoga Co., TRW Automotive, and others. So, when the county's housing market foundered last year, those who already couldn't keep up with large mortgage payments ran out of options. "If you're behind, and you can't sell the house, the pressure is going to be on to foreclose," said Wes Fahrbach, executive director of the Sandusky County Economic Development Corp. ... More at: http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070202/BUSINESS05/702020344/-1/rss13 From the 2/2/07 Youngstown Vindicator: Officials seek to reduce home foreclosures The county is in the process of selling 300 foreclosed properties. By D.A. WILKINSON VINDICATOR SALEM BUREAU PERRY — An initiative backed by a new state law is aimed at reducing home foreclosures in Ohio. Ohio Treasurer Richard Cordray and other officials gathered in Perry Township on Thursday to announce help for homeowners. Cordray and other officials met at the home of Cindy Slavens on Andrew Avenue. She has been in financial trouble. ... More at: http://www.vindy.com/content/local_regional/298153951314285.php

From the 1/27/07 Celina Daily Standard: Foreclosure impact not too serious -yet Saturday, January 27th, 2007 By Shelley Grieshop The number of foreclosure cases and sheriff sales have skyrocketed statewide and in some area counties, but the overall impact, so far, has been minimal. Auglaize County Auditor Karyn Schumann, who handles the transfer of sheriff sales, said area foreclosures are having little affect on property values. "I haven't seen a drop in home values at all," she said. ... More at: http://www.dailystandard.com/archive/story_single.php?rec_id=2015

From the 3/29/07 Dispatch: COSI to use county's $1 million for teaching Grants will pay for programs; CEO says levy for operating costs may be needed Thursday, March 29, 2007 3:45 AM By Barbara Carmen THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH For years, COSI Columbus has thought big -- a huge riverfront building and Titanic-size traveling exhibits. Now, the museum's effort to reinvent and reinvigorate itself hinges, in part, on starting small. Franklin County commissioners agreed Tuesday to a $1 million, one-year, taxpayer-funded deal with COSI to work with toddlers, preschoolers and parents. The science museum will use the money -- part of a $4 million package of county, city and private dollars -- to develop programs that stimulate brain development, instill basic science concepts and offer preparation for school achievement tests. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/content/local_news/stories/2007/03/29/COMMIS28.ART_ART_03-29-07_B3_IE67L44.html

From the 3/16/07 Dispatch: * GRAPHIC: If you go COSI to open all week long for spring break, summer Science museum hopes to attract more visitors without key exhibit Friday, March 16, 2007 Matt Tullis THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH For the first time since June 2004, COSI Columbus will be open seven days a week even without a blockbuster exhibit. Beginning Monday, the science museum will be open all week through April 15 as it tries to lure families with kids on spring break. It will go back to five days a week (closed on Monday and Tuesday) from April 16 until Memorial Day, when it will once again open its doors all week through Labor Day. David Chesebrough, entering his second year as president of COSI, called the expanded schedule an experiment to see whether more people will come or attendance will just spread out over seven days. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/contentbe/dispatch/2007/03/16/20070316-D8-00.html

From the 3/10/07 Dispatch: * PHOTO: Construction worker Mike Helt reassembles the Science Spectrum sculpture at COSI?s main entrance. It had been in the outdoor science park since 1999. DORAL CHENOWETH III DISPATCH Adornment at last COSI jazzes up artless entrance by relocating Science Spectrum sculpture Saturday, March 10, 2007 Matt Tullis THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH On the ground next to COSI Columbus lay 26 branches adorned with 182 cubes. Their Mylar coating caught yesterday?s early-morning sunlight, reflecting bright reds, oranges, greens and blues. The branches were ready to be moved. But the pole they had twirled on since the Science Spectrum sculpture was moved from E. Broad Street to the new COSI in 1999 wasn't budging. http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/contentbe/dispatch/2007/03/10/20070310-C1-00.html

Link contains a photo. From the 1/29/07 Dispatch: Titanic, 'Star Wars' exhibits gave COSI new life Officials hopeful attractions in '07 will continue attendance rebound Monday, January 29, 2007 Matt Tullis THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH Visitors to COSI Columbus have been spoiled the past two years with pop-culture exhibits about the Titanic and Star Wars that packed them into the science museum. There are no such blockbusters on tap for 2007, but museum officials are hoping exhibits centered on Albert Einstein, the Cartoon Network, Gregor Mendel and Bob the Builder can sustain the momentum. Read more at http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/contentbe/dispatch/2007/01/29/20070129-C1-03.html

From the 4/15/07 Dispatch: TRACKING CO2 EMISSIONS State EPA warms to pollution alliance Strickland appointee backs climate registry Sunday, April 15, 2007 Spencer Hunt THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH While the world has debated global warming for decades, the agency sworn to protect Ohio's environment has remained stubbornly silent. That might change. The Ohio Environmental Protection Agency is poised to take its first small step into the fray by considering joining the U.S. Climate Registry. The multistate effort would ask businesses to track and report carbon-dioxide emissions, said Chris Korleski, who was named Ohio EPA director in January. "It's a gentle introduction to global warming," he said. Ohio has a big stake in the debate. Power plants, cars, trucks, factories and homes in the state released an estimated 287.3 million tons of carbon dioxide in 2003, enough to rank Ohio fourth in the U.S. Critics say the U.S. EPA and the Department of Energy already provide emission estimates and that states need to instead limit carbon dioxide, a so-called greenhouse gas tied to warming and climate change. MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/dispatch/contentbe/dispatch/2007/04/15/20070415-C1-02.html