Oakland County, Michigan, October 26, 2007--Ruth Johnson will be part of a special seminar aimed at fighting rising foreclosure rates in Oakland County.

"My Future - My Home" will be held from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in Lathrup Village's City Hall, 27400 Southfield Road. The seminar is free and open to the public.

The seminar is being hosted by the Southern Oakland County NAACP as well as the Oakland County Board of Commissioners, Oakland County Community & Home Improvement Division, the city of Lathrup Village, Lighthouse Community Development, the Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency and the Mission of Peace Community Development Corporation. LaSalle Bank and Wells Fargo Home Mortgage are also supporting the seminar.

While the seminar will focus on helping homeowners protect their largest asset, Johnson said she will be speaking on keeping homes secure in other ways - against real estate crime.

Michigan has been named one of the top 10 "hot spots" for mortgage fraud in the country. It often involves the use of forged documents. With deed fraud, criminals steal a home on paper, using forged deeds and then re-mortgage the property. They take that money and disappear, leaving the genuine homeowner with a legal mess.

"Unfortunately, we're hearing stories of people preying on homeowners who are already struggling and close to losing their homes," Johnson said. "Real estate crime can be devastating for victims."

Topics of the seminar will include budgeting, credit, mortgages, refinancing, steps to stop foreclosure and what to do after foreclosure has stated. Please call Oakland County Housing Counseling, 1-888-350-0900, ext. 85402 for more information in regard to the seminar.

Members of the media may contact Ruth Johnson at (248) 858-0566.