French/West/Vaughan Wins ''Help for Homeowners'' Account
Posted: 02-03-2009 : TAMPA, FL

TAMPA, FL – French/West/Vaughan (FWV), one of the nation’s largest independent public relations, public affairs and brand communications agencies, today announced that it has been named agency-of-record by Help for Homeowners of America, LLC (HFH). FWV will provide public relations counsel and support to raise awareness for HFH’s new workshop program that teaches homeowners how to quickly and legally modify their home loans, lower their monthly payments and save their houses from foreclosure. These workshops – which are open to the public – will begin in Tampa, Florida on February 14 at the Hillsborough County Bar Association, and are expected to launch nationwide in spring of 2009.

FWV will be responsible for implementing a comprehensive public relations and city-by-city marketing program that will include proactive media relations, cyber communications, community outreach and event coordination. The agency will work to raise HFH’s brand recognition as the preeminent leader in the home loan modification business, and the driving force in developing practical, accessible solutions for the beleaguered American homeowner.

U.S. foreclosure filings skyrocketed a record 81 percent in 2008, and 225 percent since 2006. More than 3.1 million foreclosure filings were issued last year, which means that one out of every 54 American households received at least one foreclosure notice. A total of 861,664 families lost their homes to foreclosure last year alone.

“The housing crisis has inflicted a terrible toll on hardworking homeowners across the United States,” said Craig Lane, HFH President. “Millions of families who played by the rules and borrowed money in good faith are facing the very real possibility of losing their homes, uprooting their families, and tearing their children away from their neighborhood friends and schools. Our HFH workshop program arms American homeowners with the tools and information they desperately need to save money, lower their monthly payments and win life-changing concessions from banks and lenders. With FWV helping us publicize our message, I’m absolutely convinced that HFH will literally change the face of the entire mortgage industry by year’s end.”

HFH’s groundbreaking workshop program teaches homeowners step-by-step how to save their homes from foreclosure by inducing banks and lenders to modify home loans, recalibrate home values and lower monthly payments. “The banks and mortgage companies really don’t want to foreclose additional homes because their investment in the property’s title is significantly more valuable when the homeowner is still making monthly payments – even at a greatly modified rate,” explained Lane. “Our program doesn’t just teach homeowners how to modify home loans; we teach them how to precisely determine the exact amount of money that banks and lenders are willing to concede. This is critically important because fully half of renegotiated mortgages eventually become delinquent again – mostly because frantic homeowners are still making bad deals. These HFH workshops don’t just tilt the playing field in favor of the homeowner – we completely change how the game itself is played.”

The HFH workshop program was developed in concert with the landmark book, “Loan Modification Made Simple: An Insider Guide to Understanding Loan Modification And Preventing Foreclosure” by Thomas Powell and Yamen Elasadi. The book, published in September of 2008, has already successfully helped modify the home loans of over 3,000 people, saving a combined total of $15 million dollars for American families. Both Powell and Elasadi have endorsed the HFH program and plan on personally participating in future HFH workshops.

“HFH has developed a remarkable program that has the potential to keep families together and rescue millions of homes from foreclosure,” said FWV Chairman & CEO Rick French. “In today’s economic climate, HFH provides a service that so many families urgently need, and our entire team is proud to play a role in sharing this message with struggling homeowners nationwide.”

About Help for Homeowners of America, LLC.
Help for Homeowners of America, LLC (HFH) is dedicated to helping families save their homes from the threat of foreclosure by teaching individuals how to modify their home loans, lower their monthly payments and win life-changing concessions from banks and lenders. Their groundbreaking workshop program was developed in concert with Thomas Powell and Yamen Elasadi, authors of the landmark new book “Loan Modification Made Simple: An Insider Guide to Understanding Loan Modification And Preventing Foreclosure.” The HFH workshop series will begin on February 14, 2008 in Tampa, Florida at the Hillsborough County Bar Association. For more information, please visit www.ModificationWorkshop.com.

About French/West/Vaughan
French/West/Vaughan (FWV) is the Southeast’s largest independent public relations, public affairs and brand communications agency. FWV was named a 2006 finalist for PR Week magazine’s “Midsize PR Agency of the Year” award, and was named the Holmes Report’s 2004 National Consumer Agency of the Year. National and international clients represented by the agency include the Global Water Foundation, the Coca-Cola Company, Wrangler, Justin Boot Company, Canada Post, Speedo, AstroTurf, TVG – America’s Horseracing Network, the International Gemological Institute and the Gatlinburg Department of Tourism. The agency is headquartered in Raleigh and has offices in both New York City and Tampa. The agency’s creative arm, FWV Distilled, was established in 2007 and provides award-winning advertising, graphic design and eMERGING media services for a wide range of clients. For more information, please visit www.fwv-us.com.