SPOKANE, Mo.-- Entire neighborhoods of families in Christian County are being kicked out of their homes. The foreclosures come as quite a shock to the people living in those homes.
Ernie and Sharlene Risinger and their 11 year old daughter love their Spokane home and community, but they're being forced out. Their American dream has turned into a nightmare.
Nearly four years ago, the Risingers moved into the place they call home. "Sounded like a great deal. He wanted $1,500 deposit or down and we would actually be buying our house," says Ernie Risinger.
Or so they thought. The Risingers, like all their neighbors at River Birch Estates did owner financing with Harold Rogers. They pay him $1,100 a month on a 30 year loan.
All was fine until a few weeks ago. "He was taking pictures of the house, and I said, 'Are you with the insurance company or something?' and he said, 'No, I'm with the bank,'" says Risinger.
That man with People's Bank of the Ozarks told them to watch the mail and the paper. "It was just really hard getting information from anybody," Risinger says. In late September, the Risingers got a letter, telling them to start making payments directly to the bank. But Harold Rogers again asked the Risingers to pay him. They've decided to just put the money in the bank for now.
Now, the foreclosure notices are published. Rogers' attorney says the bank has refused to renew Rogers' short term construction loans. He also says the value of the houses have dropped because of the economic recession.
"Right now, the bad thing is, it's in limbo," says Risinger. The Risingers know the foreclosure will be final soon, but they don't know when they have to get out or where they'll go. "What makes it really hard on us is the fact that I'm unemployed right now, so getting financed for a house is impossible," says Risinger, a computer tech, who has been unemployed for about a year.
The Risingers and all their neighbors have close to 20 kids in Spokane schools, who are also taking the news hard. "She loves the teachers, she loves the school, it's just really sad," Risinger says of his daugther.
With more than $60,000 invested in their American dream, the Risingers are forced to start over.
"We're part of that American group, I suppose that hasn't kept up with their credit like we should have, and it was a great opportunity for us," Risinger says.
They are not alone. At River Birch Estates in Spokane, nine homes are being foreclosed on, and there are seven more at Carriage Crossing subdivision in Nixa. The Christian County Assessor says there are records of Harold Rogers and Rogers Property Investments owning 42 homes in Christian County.
Rogers' attorney, David Schroeder, says the bank has refused to renew Rogers' short-term construction loan on the properties, and that's why the foreclosures are happening. He says they have a tentative meeting with the bank and are hopeful something can be worked out.
All 16 foreclosure notices are listed in the October 12th edition of the Christian County Headliner.
