For some time now, the number of bank foreclosed homes in Southwest Florida is one of the highest in the country. And by the rate it is going, the foreclosure problem is not likely to leave this area in the near future.

Industry experts said that one of the challenges facing efforts to contain the number of bank foreclosed homes in the area is the backlog of foreclosures that is overwhelming the court system. The backlog of foreclosures has severely affected troubled homeowners who want to have a chance to negotiate with their mortgage providers to save their properties from foreclosure.

Foreclosure experts said that when distressed homeowners receive a notice of repossession, they should act on the problem immediately to have a right to contest the lawsuit effectively. Under the Florida law, delinquent homeowners have at least 20 days to respond on the issue. They said that homeowners should be pro-active by replying to the lawsuit immediately and seeking help from certified housing counselors.

Meanwhile, experts pointed out that one way for homeowners to save their properties from becoming bank foreclosed homes is to request for court mediation. They believed that court mediations could provide resolutions that would be advantageous to both borrowers and lenders.

Florida Bankers Association executive vice president Anthony DiMarco said that the banking industry is not opposed to mediation provided that it is not done to delay foreclosure. He said that banks do not want to foreclose but sometimes, they also have difficulty in contacting distressed homeowners.

Some industry experts predict that the rate of foreclosures in the state will continue to increase as payments for adjustable rate mortgages soared and so is the unemployment rate.

Meanwhile, local governments have taken some steps to help distressed homeowners remain in their homes. In Lee County, the nonprofit agency Home Ownership Resource Center (HORC) has been helping troubled homeowners and educating first-time homebuyers. The HORC is eligible to renew its funding from local government of Fort Myers.

Florida’s foreclosure rate is still one of the highest in the country in the first six months of this year. One in every 33 or 3.08 percent of the households in the state received a filing of foreclosed homes during the period.