According to an article in U.S. Today, the nation's foreclosure crisis, once mostly confined to only a few corners of the country, is spreading to new areas as the economy continues to be bogged down. The foreclosure rates in 40 of the nation's counties that have the most households have already doubled from last year. Most were in areas far removed from the avalanche of bad mortgages and lost homes that have hammered the U.S. housing market. Among the new areas: Boise and Green Bay, Wis.

Unlike the foreclosure wave that began in 2007 and was driven by risky subprime loans, the latest increases are the result of the recession, which brought a sharp rise in unemployment across the country. That growth is most pronounced in areas far from the crisis' epicenter. The 40 counties where foreclosures increased most rapidly are scattered from Hawaii to tiny York, S.C. Rates there have not reached the proportions seen in hard-hit states such as California or Florida. Green Bay, for example, recorded a monthly average of one foreclosure action, which includes default notices, auctions and repossessions, for every 458 homes, compared with one foreclosure for every 178 homes in the Los Angeles area.

Because of high unemployment, homeowners and buyers aren't seeing a quick end to the crisis. In Boise for example, the number of foreclosure actions has more than doubled this year to an average of more than 770 a month, from 350 last year. The foreclosure rate there now rivals Los Angeles'. President Obama in March said his administration would spend up to $75 billion to help borrowers struggling with expensive mortgages or debts that exceed the value of their homes. The administration concedes that will do little for those at risk of losing their homes because of the recession.

The means to stop foreclosure? It’s called a Loan Modification. And the professionals at Foreclosure Shield can stop your foreclosure proceedings in its tracks.