In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have reached out to their servicers, urging them to adopt mortgage-relief policies for homeowners severely impacted by Hurricane Sandy.

Read: How will Hurricane Sandy affect your home insurance?

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If you live in an area prone to natural disasters, you’ll probably have to evacuate your home someday. Last year, 2.5 million folks were ordered out when Hurricane Irene neared the East Coast. Thousands were told to leave Texas in 2011 as 180 wildfires broke out across the state. And even the White House evacuated last year after an earthquake. Chances are good that someday you’ll evacuate as well.

I was working from home, just south of Reno, Nev., last Thursday when I got a reverse 911 call from the sheriff’s office, telling me that a large wildfire was moving quickly in my direction and that I should get to an evacuation center right away. My mind went blank, my knees turned to water and my hands started to shake. I grabbed my dogs, cat and laptop and fled for safety. Read the rest of this entry »

Number six on our Top 10 most popular articles of 2011 is, “Do you have to pay your mortgage if your house is destroyed?”

Publish date: June 02, 2011
Written by: Marcie Geffner

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Between the massive flooding, the devastating tornadoes and the wildfires, natural disasters have taken an extreme toll on American homes so far this year, and we’re only halfway through 2011.

“Few states are immune to natural disasters,” writes HSH.com contributing writer Marcie Geffner, “and each event affects thousands of homeowners who are forced to cope with the physical and emotional damage, as well as the prospect of perhaps not being able to manage their mortgage payments.”

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