PEWAUKEE, Wis. — The Wisconsin Credit Union League has now added its weight to the growing trend of countering foreclosures and predatory mortgages with the credit union common sense approach to real estate lending.

Alarmed at the news that the state had more than 7,697 foreclosures in 2007, a 21% increase from a year ago) Brett Thompson, president and CEO of the WCUL wants credit unions to be the "go-to" provider of fair and appropriate mortgage loans. He also expects that CUs will get more play in the arena, given the alarming mortgage news that's topic one in the mainstream press nowadays.

Thompson isn't happy to see consumers put into loans they cannot afford. "People at lower income levels or with less-than-perfect credit find that their borrowing options are limited by for-profit lenders and some end up turning to gimmicky, subprime mortgages," he said. And when the reality of zooming interest rates hits, "Their dream of owning a home quickly becomes a nightmare." So much for The American Dream, he added, wryly.