Mary J. Blige and Big Boi 'Bringing Hope Home' to Atlanta

/PRNewswire/ -- Today, Grammy Award winner and multi-platinum recording artist Mary J. Blige, and rapper, song-writer, record producer, Big Boi, one-half of the six-time Grammy Award winning duo Outkast, joined the "Bringing Hope Home" bus tour for its second stop, Atlanta, in a four city tour to raise awareness about the foreclosure problems facing families and the resources available to help them avoid losing their homes.

While in Atlanta, Mary J. Blige and Big Boi will meet with housing counselors at Resources for Residents and Communities and Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater Atlanta. They will also hear firsthand from families who struggled with their mortgages but reached out for help through non-profit, community-based counseling agencies.

Mary J. Blige says that she's glad she can help raise awareness about home foreclosures in Atlanta - where her family roots are so strong. "Foreclosure rates in Atlanta have risen drastically in recent years," she said, "so I want to do what I can to help educate people about the options available to them to help keep their homes. They have to know where to go to ask for help. But most importantly, they need to know that they have to ask."

Big Boi, an Atlanta resident, says he can't stand by and watch more Atlantans lose their homes. "There are too many resources available for this to continue happening to families in Atlanta. That's what this bus tour is about - making sure the people here know that too."

The tour will highlight local and national resources available to homeowners including the Homeowner's Hope(TM) Hotline, (888) 995-HOPE, which provides free help to homeowners 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Homeowners can also receive help by logging onto www.MakingHomeAffordable.gov or by finding a HUD-approved counseling agency in their community. The tour is also designed to raise awareness about the growing number of foreclosure prevention scams preying on distressed homeowners.

Atlanta is the second stop on the bus tour following February's successful launch in Newark featuring Queen Latifah, Wyclef Jean and Angie Martinez - all Newark natives. The "Bringing Hope Home" campaign will continue in two additional cities - Miami and Cleveland - and is being sponsored by HOPE NOW Alliance and supported through a grant from Fannie Mae's Office of Community and Charitable Giving. The campaign is an extension of Fannie Mae's overall effort to prevent foreclosures and keep people in their homes.

As part of the "Bringing HOPE Home" campaign, the HOPE NOW Alliance is hosting outreach events in several cities to provide homeowners the opportunity to meet with their mortgage lender and local counselors face-to-face. Just this week in Atlanta, more than 20 mortgage servicers along with local counseling organizations came together to provide counseling to more than 3300 families in the Atlanta region.

Faith Schwartz, HOPE NOW's executive director says that homeowners need to be educated about the resources available to them and be aware and wary of the schemes out there to take advantage of their vulnerability. "Along with the HOPE Hotline, there are various free local organizations in communities across the country available to homeowners to help them save their homes from foreclosures," she said. "Do not be tricked by anyone asking for money - because no one should have to pay to get the help they need to save their homes, their families and their communities from foreclosure."

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House Bill Aims to Stabilize Housing, Addresses Foreclosure and Stimulus

A bill that embraces the need for righting the housing market --- the first big step toward economic recovery --- was introduced Friday in the U.S. House of Representatives.

H.R. 384, The TARP Reform and Accountability Act, was offered by Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), chair of the House Financial Services Committee. The bill would require the Treasury Department to develop a program, outside the Troubled Asset Relief Program, to stimulate demand for home purchases and lower property inventories, by making affordable mortgages available for qualified buyers through interest rate buydowns, a priority of the National Association of Realtors.

The measure would amend the TARP provisions of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 to make significant steps to reduce foreclosures, strengthen accountability and close loopholes. Treasury could consider the impact of areas with the highest inventories of foreclosed properties.

NAR President Charles McMillan was heartened by the legislation that would move the housing market forward. "The bill proposed by Chairman Frank is an important first step toward launching a real estate recovery. Housing has always led this country out of economic downturns, and this bill recognizes that the key to bolstering the overall economy is creating stability in the real estate markets. With foreclosure relief, improving the Hope for Homeowners Plan, and expanding TARP to support commercial real estate loans and commercial mortgage-backed securities, this legislation will help create housing stability."

"By directing the Treasury Department to increase the availability of affordable mortgages rates for qualified home buyers and to offer reduced rate loans designed to stimulate demand for home purchases and clear inventory of properties, Chairman Frank has responded to the most critical issues facing potential homeowners," McMillan said.

Foreclosure relief, using the second half of the $700 billion previously authorized by Congress, would be conditioned on stipulation that $50 billion be used for foreclosure mitigation and calls for a plan to be put into action by March 15. That would allow the Treasury to begin committing the remaining TARP funds for the plan no later than April 1.

The plan would require that foreclosure assistance must apply only to owner-occupied residences. Further, the bill would provide liability protection for loan servicers who engage in loan modifications. Such servicers would have to report regularly to the Treasury.

In addition, the Treasury would be authorized to provide support for commercial real estate loans and commercial mortgage-backed securities, an NAR priority.

NAR has been urging the incoming Obama administration, as well as Congress, to address critical housing needs. "This legislation is a great beginning, but more needs to be done. We must continue to bring potential homebuyers into the market by ensuring low mortgage interest rates, making the higher 2008 conforming loan limits permanent, and applying the $7,500 tax credit to all homebuyers and making it non-repayable," McMillan said.

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Freddie Mac Extends Suspension of Single Family Foreclosure Sales, Evictions Until January 31, 2009

/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Freddie Mac (NYSE:FRE) today announced it is extending its suspension of all foreclosure sales and evictions involving occupied single family and 2-4 unit properties with Freddie Mac-owned mortgages through January 31, 2009. The suspension does not apply to vacant single family properties.

"Freddie Mac is committed to pursuing every responsible opportunity to reduce foreclosures and accelerate the return of stability to the U.S. housing market," said Freddie Mac Chief Executive Officer David M. Moffett. "Today's announcement will provide Freddie Mac and its servicers additional opportunities to help put more families on the path to stable homeownership."

The extension will also provide servicers with more time to help troubled borrowers find an alternative to foreclosure and implement the Streamlined Modification Program that went into operation on December 15, 2008. Developed by Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA), HOPE Now and 27 mortgage servicers, the Streamlined Modification Program was designed to expedite loan modifications for eligible borrowers who have missed three or more mortgage payments.

Freddie Mac gives lenders servicing its mortgages broad authority to help troubled borrowers before they miss a payment through forbearance as well as provide permanent rate reductions, mortgage term extensions or other modifications to borrowers who are already delinquent. In 2008 Freddie Mac enabled three out of five of its delinquent borrowers avoid foreclosure. (For more about Freddie Mac workout options, see freddiemac.com)

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Land Banking Key Solution For Vacant, Abandoned Properties, Says Emory Professor

The federal government needs to play a critical role in the use of land banking programs to alleviate one of the consequences of the nation's mortgage foreclosure crisis – vacant and abandoned properties, says Emory Law professor Frank S. Alexander, one the nation's leading experts on local government land banks.

In a paper released Oct. 29 by the Brookings Institution's Metropolitan Policy Program, Alexander says that more and more communities are "stressed by the catastrophic mortgage foreclosure crisis and the long-run decline of older, industrial regions," and are struggling to deal with vacant and abandoned properties. Read the paper at: http://www.brookings.edu/papers/2008/1028_mortgage_crisis_alexander.aspx .

"To alleviate this drag on national prosperity, the federal government should advance policies that support regional and local land banking for the 21st century," writes Alexander, who directs the Project on Affordable Housing and Community Development at Emory's Center for the Study of Law and Religion (CSLR). Alexander, CSLR's founding director, is the author of the leading text in the country on land banking, "Land Bank Authorities: A Guide for the Creation and Operation of Local Land Banks."

Land banking enables local governments to acquire vacant and abandoned properties and convert them to productive use or hold them for long-term strategic public purposes. Common re-uses of such property are affordable housing, mixed-use developments, or mixed-income housing, all provided by not-for-profit entities.

The Emergency Assistance Act in the Home and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, passed in July, recognized land banking as a federal concern and funded it with $3.92 billion, but Alexander says neither the bill's clarity for implementation nor the amount of funding it provides are enough.

"It does not come close to meeting the costs associated with the two million foreclosures projected by the end of 2008 and the local revenues lost from vacant and abandoned properties," he writes, adding that earlier drafts of the bill called for $15 billion in loans and grants.

"The role of land banking is not to replace or supplant the open market; it steps in when there is a failure of market conditions," says Alexander.

Alexander reports that during the mortgage crisis of the past two years, foreclosures doubled nationwide -- in August 2008 alone, one of every 416 households received a foreclosure notice. And, almost 600,000 vacant, for-sale homes were added to weak real estate markets. This decline has compounded the long-term problem of vacancies and abandonments in older, industrial regions.

"When left unaddressed, these problem properties impose severe costs on neighborhoods, including reduced property values and tax revenues; increased arson and crime; and greater demands for police surveillance and response," explains Alexander.

In addition to capitalizing local and regional land banking, Alexander recommends that federal policy provide incentives for reforming local code enforcement and state tax foreclosure procedures, and incentives for communities to develop inter-jurisdictional entities that will allow them to address property issues across city and county boundary lines.

"Forty years ago, land banking was encouraged to be a part of federal housing and urban development policy. It is time for it to be implemented. The need is greater than ever; the time is now; and the opportunity is here," he concludes.

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Home Foreclosure - What Will It Do to Your Tax Bill?

PRNewswire/ -- In a July 8, 2008 speech on the U.S. housing market, Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson, Jr. reported that 1.5 million foreclosures were started in 2007, and some economists estimate that about 2.5 million foreclosures will be started in 2008. By comparison, there were only 800,000 foreclosures in 2004. Those who happen to be among the unlucky ones, are living in a world of hurt and don't need to be facing giant tax bills on top of losing their homes.

"But, before 2007, that was what often happened because any part of their mortgage forgiven after the foreclosure, (such as when the house was sold and the bank forgave the mortgage exceeding the home's sales price), was considered taxable income. Fortunately, a tax law change in the 2007 Mortgage Relief Act saved the day--at least for many foreclosures and debt cancellations during 2007 through 2012," says Robin Christian, Senior Tax Analyst for the Tax & Accounting business of Thomson Reuters.

The help comes in a special provision called the qualified principal residence indebtedness exclusion, according to Christian. To qualify for it: (1) the cancellation of debt (COD) must occur in a calendar years 2007-2012 and (2) the debt that was canceled must have been incurred to acquire, construct, or improve the individual's principal residence and it must be secured by that residence. Finally, only up to $2 million of COD can be excluded under this provision.

According to Christian, the basis of the taxpayer's residence is reduced (but not below zero) by the amount excluded under this exception. "Thus, the excluded COD will decrease any loss (or increase any gain) on the sale of the residence," she says. "But, this usually doesn't matter as the loss isn't deductible and any gain up to $250,000 ($500,000 in the case of married taxpayers) usually qualifies for the home-gain exclusion, so it isn't taxable anyway." She provides this example:

A couple of years ago, Lois and Clark paid $500,000 for their home. Now, thanks to a down real estate market, their home is now worth $350,000, their mortgage balance is $450,000, and, to top it off, Clark has lost his job. With no way to make the monthly payments and no hope of selling and being able to pay off the mortgage, Lois and Clark hand the deed back to the bank and walk away from their home. The bank sells the house for $350,000 and forgives the $100,000 remaining loan balance. As far as Lois and Clark are concerned, they've done nothing but lose their home and all the money they put into it.

For tax purposes, however, two things have happened--they've sold their home for a $150,000 loss and realized COD income of $100,000--and the two transactions do not offset each other. In fact, the loss from the sale of the residence is never deductible, whereas the COD income is fully taxable, unless an exception applies. Fortunately, for Lois and Clark, they can exclude the $100,000 of COD under the qualified principal residence indebtedness exclusion. "This will decrease the basis in their home by $100,000, so their loss will now be $50,000 instead of $150,000, but who cares--it's not deductible anyway," says Christian.

Bottom line: The foreclosure has no impact on their income taxes. Note, however, that the COD will need to be reported on a special form attached to their 2008 Form 1040--Form 982 (Reduction of Tax Attributes Due to Discharge of Indebtedness). Basically, you use this form to report the COD, and then indicate that it is excluded under the qualified principal residence indebtedness exclusion and that the residence's basis is reduced by the amount excluded.

"Unfortunately, this special COD exclusion does not apply to all home loans--it doesn't work for second mortgages or home equity loans that were used for purposes other than to improve the taxpayer's principal residence, nor does it work for vacation home mortgages," warns Christian. "It will only help those who borrowed too much to acquire, build, or improve a principal residence."

However, other exclusions may apply. For example, COD that occurs during bankruptcy proceedings is excluded from income as is COD, to the extent of the borrower's insolvency immediately before the debt forgiveness event occurs. Also, there's no COD income if your mortgage was nonrecourse (meaning, you are not liable to the extent the loan balance exceeds your home's value) or seller financed (that is, the home's prior owner loaned you the money to buy the home).

"The COD exclusion for principal residence indebtedness may well save the day if your home was foreclosed on in 2008," says Christian. "Be careful though--real life is never as simple as our examples. Often a foreclosure is a drawn out painful process, occurring in several stages over more than one year --and each case is unique. That's where your tax professional can be instrumental in getting the best results," advises Christian.

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Snakes Move In As Foreclosures Mount

(NAPSI)-As if the home-foreclosure mess wasn't bad enough, now there's a new twist to worry about: snakes.

Communities in states like Florida, California, New York, Virginia and Ohio have seen sharp rises in the amount of wildlife-everything from snakes to rats to bees-infesting abandoned properties since the home mortgage crisis began playing out. That's because as people lose their homes, the abandoned properties often go unmanaged. As a result, walls become moldy, swimming pools sit untreated, grass and weeds grow wild and animals soon move in.

And with some analysts predicting that as many as 2.8 million homeowners could wind up losing their homes to foreclosure by the end of 2009, the problem is only likely to get worse.

"Anything that's not maintained creates a potential attraction for a lot of opportunistic wildlife," Scott McCombe, general manager for Critter Control of Northern Virginia, told The Washington Post regarding the problems he's been seeing.

In Brevard County, Fla., for example, 235 new cases of overgrown, abandoned lots have left remaining residents deeply concerned about potential danger to their families.

"I've got grandkids-I have to worry about a snake biting them," says Sara Peterson, who lives next door to one of the foreclosed and abandoned houses. "It's really sad."

Meanwhile, California residents have been warned about a growing risk of West Nile disease as abandoned pools on foreclosed properties become mosquito breeding grounds.

Clearly, part of the $300 billion housing bill recently signed into law by President Bush is intended to address the situation. A total of $3.9 billion was specifically earmarked for communities to fix up foreclosed properties causing blight.

So what's a homeowner to do if confronted by a snake?

"Stay alert and stay away from the snake-don't try to capture or remove it," advises Dr. Rutherfoord Rose of VCU Medical Center and director of Virginia Poison Center in Richmond, Va. He offers these additional tips:

• If you're bitten, contact your local poison center at (800) 222-1222 for advice on hospital care. Immobilize the limb and keep it elevated until you get to the closest hospital.

• In high grass or areas with debris that snakes may be hiding under, make noise so you don't surprise them.

• Wear high-cut boots and long pants for protection when doing yard work.

Finally, never try to suck snake venom out of a wound since it's only likely to make things worse.

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CCCS of Greater Atlanta Expanding to Aid Struggling Homeowners

PRNewswire/ -- Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) of Greater Atlanta today announced it is now hiring housing counselors and customer service representatives for a new counseling office in the Cumberland/Galleria area in suburban Atlanta. The office is scheduled to open in December with more than 100 employees focused on foreclosure prevention.

Once the office opens, the agency will immediately begin providing housing counseling from offices at Interstate North Office Park, near the intersection of I-75 and I-285 in Cobb County. It will be the 44-year-old nonprofit's largest around-the-clock counseling operation. The agency is now hiring many of the 80 housing counselors and 20 phone contact staff who will work at the 26,000-square-foot facility.

"We needed a location that offered both a talented pool of workers and easy access for our employees to get to their jobs," said Suzanne Boas, president of CCCS. "Interstate North offers our employees great access by car and also has convenient mass transit options."

The new operation will increase the agency's overall counseling staff to 245. These counselors are the frontline support for the agency's mission to help people nationwide struggling to avoid foreclosure. The agency estimates its housing counselors will conduct more than 60,000 counseling sessions in 2008, offering expertise in foreclosure prevention, reverse mortgages and resolving credit card debt for homeowners.

CCCS of Greater Atlanta recently selected Interstate North after reviewing several potential office locations along I-75 north of Atlanta. The agency is headquartered in downtown Atlanta and also operates a large counseling center in Duluth to provide telephone and Internet counseling across the country to people worried about debt.

The agency's expansion to Cobb County is made possible by a $2 million grant earlier this year from the Ford Foundation. In addition to providing resources for 80 new housing counselors, the grant also allows CCCS to expand the rollout of a new software platform that lets credit counselors eliminate lengthy delays faced by homeowners in urgent need of modified mortgages.

Housing counselors at the Interstate North facility will join the agency's other foreclosure prevention specialists answering calls from the HOPE hotline, a national toll-free service offered by the Housing Preservation Foundation. Any person in the United States who needs free counseling to avoid foreclosure can call the number 24 hours day. The telephone number is 1-888-995-HOPE.

"Preserving homeownership is one of our agency's highest priorities, and counselors at this new facility will help save the homes of many Americans," Boas said.

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Two-Thirds of Struggling Homeowners Meet Key Criteria for Housing Bill Relief, According to Survey by CCCS of Greater Atlanta

PRNewswire/ -- Almost two-thirds of homeowners who called Consumer Credit Counseling Service (CCCS) of Greater Atlanta for foreclosure prevention counseling in recent months appear to meet the threshold requirements for relief under the new federal housing bill that took effect Oct. 1, according to a recent survey of those homeowners.

Of 591 people surveyed in late September, 381 of them, or 64.6 percent, said they met five key eligibility criteria for the mortgage refinancing program.

On July 30, President Bush signed the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. The law created a new program called Hope for Homeowners intended to help families save their homes from foreclosure. Mortgage lenders participating in the program can allow "at risk" borrowers to refinance their current mortgage into a new fixed-rate loan insured by the FHA. Lenders' participation in the program is voluntary.

"Our survey results indicate this new FHA program holds the potential to help a large number of Americans struggling to pay their mortgage," said Suzanne Boas, president of CCCS of Greater Atlanta. "Not everyone will be able to meet the terms. But if someone meets the basic criteria laid out in the housing bill, it would be worth a phone call to their lender to ask about the FHA program."

Homeowners must meet several requirements to be considered for the program. People who called CCCS of Greater Atlanta in July and August trying to avoid foreclosure were surveyed about these requirements by email from Sept. 19-23.

To be counted among the 64.6 percent of survey takers who appear to meet the threshold criteria, people needed to indicate that they live in the home with the problem mortgage; their mortgage was originated before January 2008; they didn't have an existing home equity line or other second mortgage; they did not own another home and they spend at least 31 percent of their gross monthly income on mortgage debt.

From those surveyed, the top challenge to participation in the FHA program is paying off a home equity loan or second mortgage. Thirty-five percent of respondents reported that their home secures more than one loan.

A second mortgage or home equity loan must be paid before a homeowner can qualify for the refinance program. It is possible to pay off the second mortgage through proceeds from the new FHA loan. That could be difficult if the first and second mortgage are held by different lenders because only the primary loan qualifies for the FHA program.

Also, nearly 20 percent of respondents say they don't spend at least 31 percent of their gross monthly income on their mortgage -- a threshold required by the FHA refinance program.

Borrowers who qualify for the FHA program are responsible for paying loan origination fees, as well as an insurance premium to FHA equal to 1.5 percent of the principal annually.

There are several other conditions:

-- The borrower must certify there was no misrepresentation in their application for the existing loan.

-- The borrower must agree to share both initial equity and future appreciation with The U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD).

-- The equity sharing agreement provides that if the house is sold within the first year, 100 percent of the initial equity (generally 10 percent of the value of the property at origination) will go to FHA. After 1 year, FHA is entitled to 90 percent of the initial equity. The percentage keeps dropping in 10 percent increments to 50 percent after the fifth year, where it stays.

-- In addition to the initial equity which is a fixed amount, 50 percent of any future appreciation of the property must be paid to HUD when the property is sold.

-- The FHA loan will be a 30-year fixed rate mortgage and may not exceed 90 percent of the current appraised value of the property. An additional 3 percent mortgage insurance premium will be financed in the mortgage making the initial loan to value 87 percent.

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News to Use in Fayetteville, Atlanta, Columbus, Peachtree City and all of Georgia

Auction of Over 500 Foreclosed Atlanta Homes Likely to Lure Buyers With Bonanza of Deals

Valued from $30,000 to nearly $700,000, Bank-Owned Homes in Atlanta and other Georgia Cities Will Be Auctioned January 15th - 20th

ATLANTA, Jan. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In a slumped housing market, continually hamstrung by falling home values and soaring foreclosures, picky buyers are in hot pursuit of discounted property. As prices continue their decline, homebuyers are flocking to foreclosed real estate auctions to find bargains. Hudson & Marshall, America's largest auction firm of foreclosed (bank owned) real estate, will auction more than 500 homes in Atlanta and nearly 100 homes in other cities throughout Georgia on January 15th - 20th at various locations.

Valued from $30,000 to nearly $700,000, the homes come with title insurance paid for by the sellers. There are no minimum starting bids on the properties. The buyers dictate the bidding. Interested buyers may register to bid on site the day of the auction and winning high bidders will be required to make a cash or check deposit of $2500 or 5% of the total sales price, whichever is greater. All properties are sold "as is" and buyers are encouraged to inspect homes prior to auction. Most homes will be open for inspection January 5th and 6th from 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm. Property listings may be found at www.hudsonandmarshall.com.

"The meltdown in subprime mortgages has pushed more foreclosures into America's overstocked housing market and sellers, especially banks holding foreclosed homes, are turning to auctions to quickly dispose of properties. Auctions are a win-win for banks anxious to sell foreclosed homes and buyers in search of discounts," said Dave Webb, principal, Hudson & Marshall. "The auction's open and competitive bidding process eliminates speculation and negotiation, allowing the home to be sold quickly for its true market value," added Webb.
According to Realtytrac(R), Georgia ranked 7th in the nation among states with high foreclosure rates, reporting one foreclosure filing for every 421 households for a total of 8,968 filings in November 2007. The spike in foreclosures nationwide resulted from borrowers defaulting on subprime adjustable rate mortgages (ARMs) issued in recent years. Primarily made to borrowers with bad credit or undocumented income, these loans started with low teaser rates that reset to higher rates in the second or third year, making the loans unaffordable for many borrowers.

Hudson & Marshall will auction over 500 Atlanta homes on January 16 and 17 at 7:00 pm at the Atlanta Marriott Perimeter Center and January 19 and 20 at 1:00 pm at the Hilton Atlanta. Other homes will be auctioned in cities throughout Georgia on the following days: January 15 in Athens; January 16 in Macon; January 17 in Ellijay; and January 18 in McDonough. All the homes have been repossessed by the banks and are known as foreclosed or Real Estate Owned (REO) homes.

Prior to the auction, buyers can purchase property online by visiting www.hudsonandmarshall.com and clicking on the Bid Now icon and submitting a bid. Sellers usually respond to offers within 24 hours. This is a reserve auction, which means the sellers have the right to accept or reject any offer or "highest bid." In past auctions conducted by Hudson & Marshall, over 90% of offers have been accepted.

Having sold over 50,000 homes for sellers in the past eight years, Hudson & Marshall is the undisputed leader in the REO auction industry. From marketing to selling and closing, the company's accelerated sales process enables it to swiftly and efficiently sell large volumes of property in a way that minimizes expenses for sellers and maximizes return. In the past two years alone, Hudson & Marshall's sales exceeded $400 million.

About Hudson & Marshall of Texas Inc.

H&M is America's Premier Auction Authority. Our 38-year history combined with our continued process enhancements have allowed us to become one of the largest and most respected real estate auction firms in the United States. H&M has set the standard as a full service auction company and continues to consistently raise the bar for our industry. Our number one priority is to provide top-quality service to our customers. Buyers know they can count on H&M to provide value and service from the initial property offering through the closing process. This same approach provides sellers with a one stop single solution to the disposition of real estate assets. Sellers particularly appreciate H&M's streamlined approach that handles their assets from marketing through closing and funding. The H&M process allows the seller to minimize expenses and maximize return. H&M has assisted clients ranging from individuals to large, medium, and small corporations, government agencies, and financial institutions. Recently, H&M has sold and closed over 40,000 homes throughout the country. See more about H&M at www.hudsonandmarshall.com.