I recently wrote about mortgage loan modification schemes and mentioned the national hotline you can call to get help if you fear a foreclosure.

Jacqueline Lampell with the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development wrote to me to remind me that Maryland, too, has a program to aid homeowners.

The state's HOPE Hotline number is 1-877-462-7555.

"The Hotline is answered by experienced personnel who immediately refer callers to housing counselors in their local Maryland jurisdictions," she writes.

Lampell also encourages homeowners to check the group's Web site for more information about foreclosure prevention and links to state regulators investigating mortgage fraud.