Snellville Sees Highest Foreclosure Rate in County

(Editor's note: bank-owned vs. resale are separated by zipcode at the bottom of the article.  Also at the bottom are foreclosure percentages by school district.)

According to Dar’Shun Kendrick, ,  the funds set aside by the federal government and distributed among the states are headed toward Gov. Nathan Deal’s slush fund. 

The funds are part of a National Mortgage Settlement, paid by the banks.  That money is then divided by the states, nearly $100 million of which comes to Georgia.  

But not to the homeowners themselves.  While 27 states are using the funds to directly aid distressed homeowners, Georgia is not one of them.   

The deal was a part of the 500-600 page 2012 budget, which Kendrick voted against. 

“None of it is going toward homeowners,” said Kendrick. 

Tim Franzen, an organizer for Occupy Atlanta and Occupy Our Homes Atlanta, believes that the money should have been reserved for those who have been hardest hit in the foreclosure crisis. 

Franzen and others from Occupy Atlanta in an effort to help a local family stay in their home.

“The real insult,” Franzen said, “is that Georgia is the hardest hit in the country.”

One in every 300 homes in Georgia is in foreclosure, according to the AJC.  That’s double the national average. 

In Snellville, (including unincorporated), it's even worse: 1 in 127 homes are in foreclosure (as of June 2012).  

That's the worst in the county.  

(Editor's note:  there is a significant difference in the foreclosure to residence ratio between the two Snellville zipcodes.)

of home sales in Snellville were foreclosures.

Foreclosure reform is something that is high on Kendrick’s list of priorities.  She has attempted to have bills passed, including HB 781, that would revolutionize the foreclosure process, according to Kendrick, but so far they have all been shut down. 

“Next year,” she said, “I want to break down the bill into separate components.  If they won’t pass the whole thing, maybe parts of it will pass.”

One thing she wants to do is change Georgia from a non-judicial foreclosure state to a judicial one.  Every other legal procedure requires a person to hand you the papers, according to Kendrick, but that is not the case with foreclosures. 

“Under our current system,” she said, “you get a certified letter and they sell your house on the courthouse step.  It doesn’t go through a judge.”

She clarified that she is not trying to keep people in their homes if they can’t afford it.  

"I won't rest until Georgia passes some sort of foreclosure reform," said Kendrick.  

Kendrick will face Rep. in November's election.  

30039 Zipcode:
Homes for sale -  151 properties
Bank-owned - 84 
Total homes - 5,882 
1 in 70 are in foreclosure and on the market (as of Aug. 8)
Note: many foreclosures are not on the market but are being held back by the banks.   

30078 Zipcode:
Homes for sale - 183
Bank-owned - 34 
Total homes - 10,470 
1 in 308 are in foreclosure and on the market (as of Aug. 8)

Brookwood (sales for 2012):
40.9% were distressed properties
374 total sales 

South Gwinnett (sales for 2012)
67.8% were distressed properties 
469 total sales 

Shiloh (sales for 2012)
63.98% were distressed properties 
336 total sales