FEMA Major Disaster Declaration – Kansas Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding

FEMA Alert
July 22, 2025 

FEMA has issued a Major Disaster Declaration for the state of Kansas to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in areas affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, and flooding from May 18-19, 2025.  The following counties have been approved for assistance:

 

Public Assistance:

  • Bourbon
  • Cheyenne
  • Edwards
  • Gove
  • Kiowa
  • Logan
  • Pratt
  • Reno
  • Scott
  • Sheridan
  • Stafford

 

Kansas Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding (DR-4883-KS)

Map of Affected Areas

President Donald J. Trump Approves Major Disaster Declaration for Kansas

List of Affected Zip Codes

 

Additional Resources

FEMA’s web site

FEMA’s Disaster Declaration Process

Safeguard Properties Industry Alerts

HUD Moratorium on Foreclosure

VA’s Policy Regarding Natural Disasters

Freddie Mac Disaster Relief Policies

Fannie Mae’s Natural Disaster Relief Policies

FEMA Major Disaster Declaration – Indiana Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding

FEMA Alert
July 22, 2025 

***LAST UPDATE: 8/26/25***

FEMA has issued a Major Disaster Declaration for the state of Indiana to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in areas affected by severe storms, straight-line winds, tornadoes, and flooding from March 30 – April 9, 2025.  The following counties have been approved for assistance:

 

Public Assistance:

  • Bartholomew
  • Brown
  • Clark
  • Clay
  • Crawford
  • Decatur
  • Floyd
  • Franklin
  • Greene
  • Harrison
  • Jefferson
  • Lawrence
  • Madison
  • Marshall
  • Martin
  • Montgomery
  • Morgan
  • Orange
  • Owen
  • Perry
  • Switzerland
  • Vanderburgh
  • Warren
  • Warrick
  • Washington

 

Indiana Severe Storms, Straight-line Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding (DR-4882-IN)

Map of Affected Areas

President Donald J. Trump Approves Major Disaster Declaration for Indiana

List of Affected Zip Codes

 

Additional Resources

FEMA’s web site

FEMA’s Disaster Declaration Process

Safeguard Properties Industry Alerts

HUD Moratorium on Foreclosure

VA’s Policy Regarding Natural Disasters

Freddie Mac Disaster Relief Policies

Fannie Mae’s Natural Disaster Relief Policies

FEMA Major Disaster Declaration – Oregon Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides

FEMA Alert
July 22, 2025 

***LAST UPDATE: 10/7/25***

FEMA has issued a Major Disaster Declaration for the state of Oregon to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in areas affected by severe storms, flooding, landslides, and mudslides from March 13-20, 2025.  The following counties have been approved for assistance:

 

Public Assistance:

  • Coos
  • Curry
  • Douglas
  • Josephine

 

Oregon Severe Storms, Flooding, Landslides, and Mudslides (DR-4881-OR)

President Donald J. Trump Approves Major Disaster Declaration for Oregon

List of Affected Zip Codes

 

Additional Resources

FEMA’s web site

FEMA’s Disaster Declaration Process

Safeguard Properties Industry Alerts

HUD Moratorium on Foreclosure

VA’s Policy Regarding Natural Disasters

Freddie Mac Disaster Relief Policies

Fannie Mae’s Natural Disaster Relief Policies

FEMA Major Disaster Declaration – Michigan Severe Winter Storm

FEMA Alert
July 22, 2025 

FEMA has issued a Major Disaster Declaration for the state of Michigan to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in areas affected by a severe winter storm from March 28-30, 2025.  The following counties have been approved for assistance:

 

Public Assistance:

  • Alcona
  • Alpena
  • Antrim
  • Charlevoix
  • Cheboygan
  • Crawford
  • Emmet
  • Kalkaska
  • Little Traverse Bay Indian Reservation
  • Mackinac
  • Montmorency
  • Oscoda
  • Otsego
  • Presque Isle

 

Michigan Severe Winter Storms (DR-4880-MI)

Map of Affected Areas

President Donald J. Trump Approves Major Disaster Declaration for Michigan

List of Affected Zip Codes

 

Additional Resources

FEMA’s web site

FEMA’s Disaster Declaration Process

Safeguard Properties Industry Alerts

HUD Moratorium on Foreclosure

VA’s Policy Regarding Natural Disasters

Freddie Mac Disaster Relief Policies

Fannie Mae’s Natural Disaster Relief Policies

FEMA Fire Management Assistance Declaration – Washington Burdoin Fire

FEMA Alert
July 19, 2025

FEMA has issued a Fire Management Assistance Declaration for the state of Washington to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts in areas affected by the Burdoin Fire on July 18, 2025.  The following counties have been approved for assistance:

Public Assistance:

  • Klickitat

 

Washington Burdoin Fire (FM-4601-WA)

List of Affected Zip Codes

 

Additional Resources

FEMA’s web site

FEMA’s Disaster Declaration Process

Safeguard Properties Industry Alerts

HUD Moratorium on Foreclosure

VA’s Policy Regarding Natural Disasters

Freddie Mac Disaster Relief Policies

Fannie Mae’s Natural Disaster Relief Policies

Congress Acts to Help Veterans Avoid Foreclosure

Industry Update
July 18, 2025

Source: The Center Square

Congress has passed legislation to help veterans avoid foreclosure after the Department of Veterans Affairs ended a mortgage relief program in May without a permanent replacement.

The VA Home Loan Program Reform Act, which passed the Senate last week and awaits President Donald Trump’s signature, creates a five-year partial claims program for delinquent borrowers with VA-backed loans. It lets the VA buy a portion of a loan in default, allowing veterans to catch up on payments without immediately losing their homes.

The move comes after the VA ended the Veterans Affairs Servicing Purchase (VASP) program on May 1, leaving tens of thousands of veterans at risk of foreclosure. VASP had helped about 33,000 borrowers stay in their homes by offering new low-interest loans directly from the VA.

“This bipartisan and bicameral legislation will assist veterans who are facing financial hardships and provide VA with a tool to better help veterans stay in their homes and avoid foreclosure,” a joint statement from the House and Senate Committees on Veterans’ Affairs said.

The measure grants the VA the power to “pay the holder of a loan guaranteed by the VA an amount necessary to avoid the foreclosure of the loan,” provided that legal documents are executed to give the VA a secured interest in the property, according to a bill summary on Congress.gov. Borrowers would repay the VA later when refinancing, selling, or paying off the home.

The Mortgage Bankers Association praised the bill’s passage.

“MBA applauds the Senate for taking swift bipartisan action to support veterans at risk of foreclosure by passing the VA Home Loan Program Reform Act,” MBA President Bob Broeksmit said in a statement. “This important legislation… is a critical step forward in ensuring that distressed veteran homeowners have access to a proven and sustainable loss mitigation solution.”

The National Association of Realtors also expressed support for the proposal.

“We are grateful to the House of Representatives and the Senate for passing this measure and providing veterans and active-duty service members the same advantages as other buyers in a competitive real estate market,” Shannon McGahn, NAR’s EVP and Chief Advocacy Officer, said in a statement.

As of April 1, about 75,000 veteran borrowers had missed three or more payments on their VA-backed loans. Of those, 33,000 were already in foreclosure, NPR reports.

Rep. Derrick Van Orden, R-Wis., a retired Navy SEAL and lead sponsor of the bill, criticized the Biden administration for creating VASP unilaterally.

“Under the Biden administration, the VA created the VASP program without consulting Congress, costing the American taxpayers $5.8 billion and endangering the entire VA home loan guarantee program,” his statement said. “My bill offers a real solution to help every servicemember and veteran maintain the American Dream of homeownership.”

With interest rates around 7%, many veterans who defaulted on their mortgages have been left with few realistic options, according to Mortgage Point. After VASP ended, loan modifications often meant higher monthly payments, and some lenders advised veterans to sell or face foreclosure. The partial claims program is designed to offer a more viable alternative, the report said.

The VA has not yet said when it will launch the new program or whether it will ask mortgage servicers to pause foreclosures in the meantime.

“We appreciate Congress’s work on the VA Home Loan Program Reform Act, which VA will implement once President Trump signs it into law,” VA press secretary Pete Kasperowicz told reporters.

 

For full report, please click the source link above.

 

Foreclosure Activity in First Half of 2025 Up from Previous Year

Industry Update
July 16, 2025

Source: ATTOM

ATTOM, a leading curator of land, property data, and real estate analytics, today released its Mid-Year 2025 U.S. Foreclosure Market Report, which shows there were a total of 187,659 U.S. properties with foreclosure filings — default notices, scheduled auctions or bank repossessions — in the first six months of 2025. That figure is up 5.8 percent from the same time period a year ago and up 1.1 percent from the same time period two years ago.

“Foreclosure activity continued its upward trend in the first half of 2025, with increases in both starts and completed foreclosures compared to last year,” said Rob Barber, CEO at ATTOM. “While the overall numbers remain below pre-pandemic levels, the persistent rise suggests that some homeowners are still facing financial challenges amid today’s housing and economic landscape.”

States that saw the greatest increases in foreclosure activity compared to a year ago in the first half of 2025 included Alaska (up 55 percent); Rhode Island (up 51 percent); Wyoming (up 46 percent); Utah (up 46 percent); and Colorado (up 41 percent).

Illinois, Delaware, and Nevada post worst state foreclosure rates

Nationwide, 0.13 percent of all housing units (one in every 758) had a foreclosure filing in the first half of 2025.

States with the worst foreclosure rates in the first half of 2025 were Illinois (0.23 percent of housing units with a foreclosure filing); Delaware (0.23 percent); Nevada (0.21 percent); Florida (0.21 percent); and South Carolina (0.20 percent).

Other states with first-half foreclosure rates among the 10 worst nationwide were Indiana (0.18 percent); New Jersey (0.18 percent); Connecticut (0.17 percent); Ohio (0.16 percent); and Texas (0.15 percent).

Worst metro foreclosure rates in Lakeland, Columbia, and Chicago

Among the 225 metropolitan statistical areas with a population of at least 200,000, those with the worst foreclosure rates in the first half of 2025 were Lakeland, Florida (0.29 percent of housing units with foreclosure filings); Columbia, South Carolina (0.28 percent); Chicago, Illinois (0.26 percent); Ocala, Florida (0.26 percent); and Jacksonville, North Carolina (0.26 percent).

Other major metro areas with foreclosure rates ranking among the top 10 worst in the first half of 2025 were Fayetteville, North Carolina (0.26 percent of housing units with a foreclosure filing); Las Vegas, Nevada (0.25 percent); Cleveland, OH (0.25 percent); Atlantic City, New Jersey (0.25 percent); and Palm Beach, Florida (0.25 percent).

Foreclosure starts up 7 percent from last year

A total of 140,006 U.S. properties started the foreclosure process in the first six months of 2025, up 7 percent from the first half of last year and up 41 percent from the first half of 2020.

States that saw the greatest number of foreclosure starts in the first half of 2025 included Texas (17,680 foreclosure starts); Florida (15,198 foreclosure starts); California (14,751 foreclosure starts); Illinois (7,922 foreclosure starts); and New York (6,585 foreclosure starts).

Bank repossessions increase in first half of 2025 from last year

Lenders foreclosed (REO) on a total of 21,007 U.S. properties in the first six months of 2025, up 12 percent from the first half of 2024 but down 7 percent from the first half of 2023.

States that posted the greatest number of REOs in the first half of 2025 included Texas (2,207 REOs); California (1,799 REOs); Pennsylvania (1,461 REOs); Illinois (1,439 REOs); and Michigan (1,260 REOs).

Average time to foreclose continues to decline

Properties foreclosed in Q2 2025 had been in the foreclosure process an average of 645 days. That figure was down 4 percent from the previous quarter and down 21 percent from a year ago.

States with the longest average foreclosure timelines for homes foreclosed in Q2 2025 were Louisiana (3,612 days); Hawaii (2,746 days); Nevada (1,974 days); New York (1,927 days); and Connecticut (1,874 days).

States with the shortest average foreclosure timelines for homes foreclosed in Q2 2025 were Wyoming (125 days); Texas (135 days); New Hampshire (149 days); Montana (154 days); and Minnesota (162 days).

Worst quarterly foreclosure rates in South Carolina, Illinois, and Florida

There were a total of 100,687 U.S. properties with a foreclosure filing during the second quarter of 2025, up 7 percent from the previous quarter and up 13 percent from a year ago.

Nationwide one in every 1,413 housing units had a foreclosure filing in Q2 2025. States with the worst foreclosure rates were South Carolina (one in every 874 housing units with a foreclosure filing); Illinois (one in every 877 housing units); Florida (one in every 881 housing units); Delaware (one in every 916 housing units); and Nevada (one in every 986 housing units).

Among 110 metropolitan statistical areas with a population of at least 500,000, those with the worst foreclosure rates in Q2 2025 were Lakeland, Florida (one in every 654 housing units with a foreclosure filing); Columbia, South Carolina (one in every 694 housing units); Palm Bay, Florida (one in every 716 housing units); Bakersfield, California (one in every 720 housing units); and Cleveland, OH (one in 721).

June 2025 Foreclosure Activity High-Level Takeaways

Nationwide in June 2025, one in every 4,361 properties had a foreclosure filing.

States with the worst foreclosure rates in June 2025 were South Carolina (one in every 2,426 housing units with a foreclosure filing); Nevada (one in every 2,615 housing units); Florida (one in every 2,716 housing units); Illinois (one in every 2,766 housing units); and Delaware (one in every 3,074 housing units).

21,782 U.S. properties started the foreclosure process in June 2025, down 10 percent from the previous month but up 17 percent from June 2024.

Lenders completed the foreclosure process on 3,892 U.S. properties in June 2025, up 1 percent from the previous month and up 35 percent from June 2024.

 

For full report, please click the source link above.

 

FEMA Fire Management Assistance Declaration – Utah Monroe Canyon Fire

FEMA Alert
July 16, 2025

FEMA has issued a Fire Management Assistance Declaration for the state of Utah to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts in areas affected by the Monroe Canyon Fire on July 7, 2025.  The following counties have been approved for assistance:

Public Assistance:

  • Piute
  • Sevier

 

Utah Monroe Canyon Fire (FM-5600-UT)

List of Affected Zip Codes

 

Additional Resources

FEMA’s web site

FEMA’s Disaster Declaration Process

Safeguard Properties Industry Alerts

HUD Moratorium on Foreclosure

VA’s Policy Regarding Natural Disasters

Freddie Mac Disaster Relief Policies

Fannie Mae’s Natural Disaster Relief Policies

FEMA Fire Management Assistance Declaration – Utah Deer Creek Fire

FEMA Alert
July 12, 2025

FEMA has issued a Fire Management Assistance Declaration for the state of Utah to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts in areas affected by the Deer Creek Fire on July 10, 2025.  The following counties have been approved for assistance:

Public Assistance:

  • San Juan

 

Utah Deer Creek Fire (FM-5598-UT)

List of Affected Zip Codes

 

Additional Resources

FEMA’s web site

FEMA’s Disaster Declaration Process

Safeguard Properties Industry Alerts

HUD Moratorium on Foreclosure

VA’s Policy Regarding Natural Disasters

Freddie Mac Disaster Relief Policies

Fannie Mae’s Natural Disaster Relief Policies

FEMA Fire Management Assistance Declaration – Oregon Highland Fire

FEMA Alert
July 13, 2025

FEMA has issued a Fire Management Assistance Declaration for the state of Oregon to supplement state, tribal and local recovery efforts in areas affected by the Highland Fire on July 12, 2025.  The following counties have been approved for assistance:

Public Assistance:

  • Crook

 

Oregon Highland Fire (FM-5599-OR)

List of Affected Zip Codes

 

Additional Resources

FEMA’s web site

FEMA’s Disaster Declaration Process

Safeguard Properties Industry Alerts

HUD Moratorium on Foreclosure

VA’s Policy Regarding Natural Disasters

Freddie Mac Disaster Relief Policies

Fannie Mae’s Natural Disaster Relief Policies