Hope Now Program On Track To Assist 370,000 Borrowers

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Secretary Henry M. Paulson, Jr. issued the following statement today regarding the HOPE NOW alliance’s progress report on the number of homeowners helped since the organization’s inception. The report indicated that during the fourth quarter, following the creation of the alliance, mortgage servicers in the organization were modifying subprime loans three times faster than in the third quarter. The industry assisted 370,000 homeowners during the second half of 2007. Additionally, more than 16 percent of borrowers responded to 233,000 HOPE NOW outreach letters sent in November by contacting their servicers, far more than the normal letter response rate of 2-3 percent for delinquent borrowers.
Texas Homeowners Insurance Premiums still the highest in U.S.

Insurance Costs
Average premiums for the most common homeowners insurance policy, according to data from 2005:
| Top 5 States | Premium |
| Texas | $1,372 |
| Louisiana | $1,144 |
| Florida | $1,083 |
| Oklahoma | $996 |
| Mississippi | $939 |
| National Average | $764 |
Read the entire article at The Dallas Morning News.