Statistics show Long Island is feeling the heat of the nationwide foreclosure crisis.
According to RealtyTrac, a firm that compiles real estate data, foreclosures in Nassau County were up 77 percent in March from a year before. The number of foreclosures in Suffolk County increased 46 percent over that period.
Statistics also show that 41,000 subprime mortgages on Long Island are due to reset to higher interest rates. Long Island Association Economist Pearl Kamer said foreclosures will likely go up and that warrants action from the federal government.
?No, we don't want to reward imprudent borrowing where people couldn't possibly repay loans, but we don't want to harm general economy either,? Kamer said.
One in 50 mortgaged homes nationwide is in foreclosure.
Click for more on the toll foreclosures are taking on Long Islanders
To watch an extended interview with Kamer, go to channel 612 on your iO digital cable box and select iO Extra.