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The Obama Administration is providing a new $2 billion fund to needy homeowners in states in with the highest foreclosure rates.

Montana does not make that list of 17 states, but our foreclosure future is as uncertain as ever.

A cream colored house on Bozeman's west side sits abandoned, a ghost of its former self, vacant but for one man.

"The kitchen is a mess," said high school math teacher Ed Linn, pointing to a poorly done remodeling project in the house. He works a very different job in his off time.

When real estate agent Sally Hickey hears of another foreclosed home, she calls Linn in to do whatever it takes to get it back on the market. She said local foreclosure rates started to ramp up last fall. She said Gallatin County now has eight to 10 foreclosed homes a month.

"It's interesting to try to make up stories, what might have happened but we just don't know," Linn said. "They're gone."

The cream house is empty now, but Linn says when he first walks into a foreclosure, he typically sees a lot more evidence of the previous owner.

"They leave half of their life behind them when they walk out of these places," he said. He'll see trash and personal belongings, things he'll either take to the landfill or second hand stores.

"(I've seen) all the clothes in the closets, all the dressers, a wedding band one time that was left behind,on the kitchen counter," Linn said.

"Old family photos, family Bibles, stuff that you can't replace," said HR manager at Bozeman's Thrift Store, Inc. She added often the stuff she gets she can't really sell either.

"Who's going to buy a beautiful wall-sized wedding photo of someone else," she said.

State economists say the foreclosure rate remains rather steady, but there was a slight uptick between June and July of this year. Linn said while typically he might get two houses a month, last month he got calls for four homes in two days.

MSU economics professor Wendy Stock said that adds to more evidence the nation's recovery is unsteady at this point.

"I wouldn't be surprised to see foreclosures go up for the next little bit," Stock said.

Linn said from his position he cannot predict the trends, he just waits for that phone call to start "mucking" a house out.