The National Association of Realtors® has awarded more than $682,000 to 25 local and state Realtor® associations through its Foreclosure Prevention and Response grant program. The grants help Realtor® boards develop and fund local foreclosure prevention programs.

More than $3 million is available to Realtor® associations through the program to help Realtors®, their clients, and the communities nationwide resolve the growing foreclosure problem. Funds can be used to give consumers foreclosure prevention information and financial counseling; educate and train Realtors® about foreclosure prevention, short sales and auctions; or help Realtors® and their associations form partnerships and get more involved in their communities to address foreclosures and support local neighborhood stabilization efforts.

“Realtors® build communities and as the leading advocate for homeownership and housing issues, we believe that any family that loses its home to foreclosure is one family too many,” NAR President Charles McMillan, a broker with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Dallas-Fort Worth. “Foreclosures affect each community differently, which is why NAR is providing the Foreclosure Prevention and Response grants directly to local and state Realtor® associations – so that they can develop unique, coordinated action plans to prevent foreclosures and minimize their adverse effects on the community.”

NAR has also developed a Foreclosure Prevention and Response Toolkit for local and state Realtor® associations. This free online toolkit helps associations develop a local foreclosure response program and support the work of Realtors® in the community. Toolkit resources include a list of training programs, government and other grant programs, and opportunities for community involvement and best practices, including developing community wide strategies.

The following Realtor® associations received Foreclosure Prevention and Response grants. Additional information on the approved grants is available at www.realtor.org/foreclosure.

Arizona Association of Realtors®: $10,500 to develop and record multiple one-hour infomercials on bank-owned real estate purchases, fair housing, upside-down listings, short sales, and tips for getting to the closing table.

California Association of Realtors®: $140,640 to develop regional foreclosure prevention seminars, a zip form library of resources, a media campaign promoting California’s mortgage protection program, a media kit for local Realtor® associations, and a foreclosure prevention continuing education course for Realtors®.

Florida Association of Realtors®: $97,000 to plan, coordinate and promote a statewide Making Homes Affordable Week to educate Floridians on federal, state and local foreclosure, loan modification and refinance assistance; develop a toolkit for local Realtor® associations to host educational events; conduct statewide foreclosure seminars; and create a new Web site for consumer foreclosure prevention information.

Georgia Association of Realtors®: $40,450 for a Realtor® loss mitigation certification program.

Greater Binghamton (New York) Association of Realtors®: $500 to host multiple continuing education classes for Realtors® about how to work with clients facing foreclosure.

Greater Nashville Association of Realtors®: $3,200 to host a foreclosures and short sales course.

Idaho Association of Realtors®: $35,905 to host a Realtor® training program on short sales and foreclosures.

Massachusetts Association of Realtors®: $6,000 to reprint a consumer brochure about understanding home financing and avoiding foreclosure.

Metro Tex (Dallas) Association of Realtors®: $24,500 to develop a multilingual consumer course; create a Realtor® training course to assist distressed homeowners with foreclosures and credit repair; work with the Texas Association of Realtors® to develop a foreclosure prevention specialist course and designation; and partner with several local organizations.

Michigan Association of Realtors®: $54,000 to develop a foreclosure prevention training kit that will include a short sales video, talking points, and FAQs; develop a public service announcement; conduct multiple public forums to educate consumers on the available resources; conduct multiple three-hour foreclosure training sessions for Realtors®; and develop a Web page and information booklet.

Mississippi Association of Realtors®: $11,250 for a four-phase project that will include a short sale course for several hundred Realtors®, a six-hour foreclosure course, a short sale course at the state association’s annual convention, and consumer outreach.

North Carolina Association of Realtors®: $53,000 to host a Realtor® training program on short sales and foreclosures and develop a statewide advertising campaign to direct distressed homeowners to HUD-approved mortgage counselors.

North Metro (Minn.) Association of Realtors®: $5,000 for a community outreach program in partnership with several local government divisions that have been impacted by the foreclosure crisis.

Oklahoma Association of Realtors®: $1,350 to host a short sales and foreclosure course for Realtors®.

Oregon Association of Realtors®: $2,500 to develop and conduct a statewide three-part Webinar series about working with foreclosure consultants, bank-owned real estate and short sales.

Portland (Ore.) Metropolitan Association of Realtors®: $4,500 to host multiple foreclosure prevention training sessions for Realtors®.

Southeast Minnesota Association of Realtors®: $5,000 to host the 2009 Southeast Minnesota Economic Recovery Fair in partnership with Congressman Tim Walz, D. Minn., and over 100 area organizations.

St. Louis Association of Realtors®: $5,000 to host a Realtor® training program on short sales and foreclosures.

Sumner (Tenn.) Association of Realtors®: $6,000 to host a Realtor® training course on helping consumers who are behind on their mortgages.

Tennessee Association of Realtors®: $8,050 to develop a course and DVD for consumers and Realtors® on the legal risks associated with foreclosures and short sales.

Texas Association of Realtors®: $70,998.10 to partner with the Texas Foreclosure Prevention Task Force to develop consumer messages; identify and train Realtors® to work with the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs and HUD-approved counseling agencies on short sales; develop a checklist for consumers on avoiding foreclosure; partner with the Metro Texas Association of Realtors® to develop a microsite with local and national consumer information and resources; and explore the possibility of developing a HUD-approved counseling agency under the umbrella of the TAR Housing Opportunity Foundation.

West Maricopa (Ariz.) County Regional Association of Realtors®: $9,720 to host multiple two-day short sale training sessions for Realtor® members.

West Virginia Association of Realtors®: $40,000 to host a Realtor® training program on short sales and foreclosures; produce and distribute a state-specific foreclosure prevention brochure; and develop a presentation for Realtors®.

Wisconsin Realtors® Association: $47,636.30 for a public information campaign to help homeowners avoid foreclosure.

All state and territorial Realtor® associations are encouraged to apply for grants. Applications are reviewed and grants awarded on an ongoing basis. Grants are available through 2010, and allotted amounts are based on membership levels. For more information about the Foreclosure Prevention and Response grant program, visit www.realtor.org/foreclosure.

The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1.2 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.