Lower home prices continue to lure home buyers across the country. Pending home sales rose in May, for the fourth straight month. The increase is new evidence that the housing industry might be recovering.

And in Lee County, the number of foreclosures are down this year from the same time last year. The number of foreclosures in June was 1,656. That's down significantly from 2,525 in June of last year.

Still, we have a long way to go, and now President Obama says he has a plan to put a stop to foreclosures if you are upside down on your home loan. But, some local critics say it's just not working.

The president says refinancing is a lifeline for borrowers drowning in plunging home values, but a local lender says people here in Southwest Florida are so far underwater, they still won't qualify for the extra help. He says your best bet is talking directly to your lender.

Janice Bass is fighting to save her Buckingham home from foreclosure.

"I want to make it so that I can stay instead of someone else who gets to come in and buy the house at less than half of what I paid for it," Bass says.

Bass is one of many Southwest Floridians too far underwater to qualify for the Obama administration's latest lifeline -- now offering to help borrowers who owe up to 25-percent more than their home is worth. The current program has only offered help for homeowners owing just 5-percent more than the value of their home.

"The programs are just feel-good programs out of Washington," Vince Patti, president of First Capital Lending, says. "There's just no meat to it."

Patti says even though Washington has given the OK to help more people sinking deeper into debt, he says lenders have been slow or even reluctant to cooperate.

"The banks aren't doing the programs because they're still on the hook for these loans," Patti says. "There's no guarantee from the government saying if that loan goes bad, we will stand good for it."

Patti says you're better off trying to negotiate directly with your current mortgage holder.

About three months ago, Bass literally stopped paying her mortgage in an effort to get the help Washington says is out there. She says it worked. Bass is now one of about 50,000 borrowers nationwide enrolled in a three-month trial loan modification.

"But, if this does not work out and it does not go through, the foreclosure would pick up right where it left off," Bass says.