NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Lois Thomas of Antioch never expected her house to be in a foreclosure auction, but she said she just spent more than she could afford on renovations.

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"I probably spent $60,000 down here," said Thomas.

She hopes to be able to work something out so she can stay, but a lot of people aren’t able to.

The Nashville area has some 3,000 houses in foreclosure. Some of them are well-kept and unnoticeable. Others can become neighborhood eyesores.

Now the federal government is sending money to cities, including Nashville, to clean up and resell foreclosed homes. Nashville will get $4 million.

"Our plan is probably to secure those properties by purchasing them, then put them out for resale to stabilize the neighborhood," said Mike Clinard, Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency assistant director of community development.

MDHA will administer the program, and it is starting to inventory what's out there.

"Right now,” said Clinard, “the information that we're seeing is that the Antioch ZIP code has the highest foreclosures right now."

The money from the federal government should be available by early next year.

"The need is huge,” Clinard said, “and $4 million won't tackle the whole situation, but it is a start."

"I never dreamt this would happen to me,” Thomas said. “I'm a real estate broker."

Thomas expects her home will avoid foreclosure. She said she's glad there is a program to keep neighborhoods looking nice in case people do end up losing their homes.