Fannie Mae offers mortgage help in Phoenix

Mortgage finance giant Fannie Mae has opened a mortgage help center in Phoenix to help struggling homeowners with loans owned by the company. Arizona had the nation’s third-highest rate of foreclosures in August, which breaks down to 1 in every 165 units, data from California-based RealtyTrac Inc. show. The new center’s main goal is helping Arizona homeowners facing foreclosure sort through options that best address their situations. “This is an opportunity to make an appointment and really be heard,” said Jeffrey Hayward, senior vice president of the National Servicing Organization at Fannie Mae. “We are doing anything we can do to reach people who have Fannie Mae-owned loans.”