Who's Number One?

Our culture is obsessed with rankings - college football teams, box office ticket sales, the most expensive celebrity weddings. There are times, however, when it's not good to be "number one".

Local newspapers, television stations, and websites have become more and more interested with Ohio's foreclosure ranking lately - as if it is something to be proud of.

It doesn't just happen in Ohio either. We have traveled all over the country to attend seminars, training sessions, housing market conferences, etc., and more often than not the hosts boast the same (fuzzy) statistic:

"(Our State) is number one in foreclosures this month!"

Aside from the fact that the statement probably isn't even true, we can't understand why is everyone so eager to publicize this fact.

Why is everyone so proud that their neighbors might lose their home soon?

As far as the Benefacts team is concerned, the media should cover more important statistics like: how many homeowners facing foreclosure have been helped this year?, or what percentage of homeowners who were in foreclosure last month found a solution to their situation?