Last week the Washington Post reported Charles County to have the second highest Foreclosure rate in Maryland behind Prince Georges County.  According to national real estate analyst Realty Trac, one in every 297 homes has had at least one foreclosure filing during the month of April, 2010, considerably higher than the national average of one in every 387.

Calvert County ranked number 4 in the State at one in every 311. 

The highest Foreclosure rate in the state was Prince George's County, where one in every 234 homes is threatened or was seized by a bank. Prince George's also leads the state in total foreclosures.

Maryland as a whole had a 3 percent increase in rates over March, and a whopping 51 percent increase over April 2009, the report said. The increase bucks the national trend, where the rate dropped 9 percent in the month and 2 percent in the year.

Subprime mortgages marketed to the influx of new residents are partly responsible for the high Foreclosure rate, Charles County Commissioner Reuben B. Collins II (D) said. 

My experience is somewhat different.  Early on in this crisis, many of my clients held subprime mortgages, but not now. Amoungst my many clients facing Foreclosure are a number of military and Federal Governement employees and their families being transfered to other parts of the world.  In many cases these homeonwers have impeccable credit, and are forced to take the credit hit or lose their jobs, or even worse, be separated from their families.

I also have a number of homeowners facing Foreclosure due to temporary job loss, health issues or other financial hardships that have been magnified by the current economic crisis. 

It is easy to blame those home buyers who "self-inflicted" their fate of Foreclosure, but now we are talking about credit-worthy buyers who are the actual victims.