Thousands more Pennsylvanians losing their homes

A new report says that the number of residential foreclosures in Pennsylvania has risen by 37 percent in the past year.

A total of 3,266 Pennsylvania homes received at least one foreclosure-related filing in April 2008, up 37 percent from April 2007 and up nearly 13 percent from March 2007, according to Irvine, Calif.-based RealtyTrac Inc.

Most people blame the collapse of the housing market for the foreclosures, but let's not forget about property taxes. Most school districts in Pennsylvania are raising property taxes at twice or three times the rate of inflation -- every year.

Many homeowners pay one amount each month that covers their mortgage and property taxes. The higher the property taxes go, the harder it is for homeowners to make their payments.

For more on the rise in foreclosures, read this article from The Associated Press.

Find out more about the effort to eliminate property taxes in Pennsylvania, including a June 2 rally in Harrisburg, at the Pennsylvania Taxpayers Cyber Coalition Web site, http://ptcc.us