laura ingle is live. it doesn't seem like -- it seems like it's a no brainer. the economy is still rough. they still want make the lower payments. >> it is so tough for so many people. experts say that any drop in foreclosures is positive, but that the recent dip should not be seen as a trend. these new figures we're talking about come from realty track, which is a company that collects foreclosure data nationwide. reps say this one month figure really doesn't speak to the rough days expected to come. and remember, in april foreclosures were down 9%. many desperate homeowners are struggling to hold on to their properties through these loan modifications, which experts say adds up to a short-term solution for a problem that's overreaching. >> what a loan modification is doing, when somebody can't keep up with it, is prolonging the inevitable and the inevitable being a short sale, or a foreclosure. >> those are the real estate business say the evidence shows the banks are right now just working through a large backlog of foreclosures, which is why we saw the numb

laura ingle is live with more. >> reporter: hi there.se figures come from realty track, a company that collects foreclosure data. this new report shows a 9% drop in foreclosures in april compared to the previous month. while it is always good to see foreclosures go down, there is a bit of a black cloud nearby. this one month figure really doesn't speak to the rough days expected to come. that's according to experts who say the evidence shows that banks are just working through a large backlog of foreclosures. >> like the analogy of a pig and a python. the banks are currently trying to clean up what they swallowed a year ago, trying to get all of those properties processed and back into the marketplace. but there is a much bigger pig yet to be swallowed and that is the 5 million homes delinquent. >> reporter: experts predict there will be record number of foreclosure notices sent out. more than half of all homeowners will default again within one year. the rate of redefault last year on modified loans was a whopping 51.5%. >> all those pe

that's good news for buyers looking for a deal. >> shannon: laura ingle, thank you very much.l, the number of female veterans is on the rise and it's expected to double over the next couple of years. casey stegall is standing by with more on what the v.a. is going to better accommodate female veterans. hi, casey. >> reporter: good morning. good to see you. more than 23 million veterans living in the united states roughly 15% of them are women. a number that has grown by 100,000 in the last five years. while the females are still not allowed to serve in combat ro roles, more and more join the u.s. military each year and the growing population forced the u.s. department of veterans affairs to develop programs, outreach and clinics, unique to women. a population that has special needs. >> women in our c culture still have the primary roles of care-giving, with the small children. so when they go in the military service, particularly if they're deployed overseas, they're separated from their families. this can be an issue for women when they return. >> reporter: other trends exper

they're doing means a lot and her letters are a small way to say thank you for their sacrifices and laura inglehere with more on the touching story, i love this story. >> i love this story. >> juliet: i love doris. >> and we've been at theing the stair all day long. she's touched the lives of many troops serving overseas from a small room and a small town in connecticut where she is recorded as a hometown hero by her community and local leaders. >> dear bret, what really inspired me was i was walking out of church one day and i saw this nice plaque, a beautiful bronzed plaque in memory of two of the boys that have been killed in the war and i thought, you know, why can't we do something about it before they're gone? >> mrs. v as she's known introduces herself through the mail and a newspaper clipping and explain. no mass e-mails here. handwritten letters, it means so much. >> each one is personalized and i do it locally because they want to hear news from home and a lot of them are in the sand dunes, no trees, no bushes no nothing. >> and she includes photos for an extra touch. >> i like to go

laura ingle live with an incredible story. laura? >> reporter: hi, it really is inspirational.own of richville, connecticut all her life. today she lives in a home that she and her husband built with their bare hands when they were first married 62 years ago. what is this room? >> this is our memory. my memory room. this is where i write all my letters. >> reporter: for 42 years, doris dedicated one week a month, eight or more hours a day to writing letters to soldiers from her hometown serving overseas. >> take a break for lunch, but it's quick. >> reporter: no e-mails here. each letter is unique and personal. >> a home written note, just telling them that we care about them. >> reporter: today she has a list of 52 men and women she's penning letters to and she has no intention of retiring. >> the ink hasn't run out yet. >> reporter: while she cherishes every reply, some are not as eloquent as others. >> he's a doctor. i can't read his writing. >> reporter: she calls them all her children and for people like retired navy captain rick scutter, the letters are more than words on

military and at 82, she's showing no signs of slowing down, laura ingle has this compelling story fromewsroom. tell us about the woman. >> reporter: doris lived in the small town of richfield, connecticut, all of her life, and, today she lives in the home she and her husband built with their bare hands when they were first married 62 years ago. here's her story. >> reporter: what is this room. >> my memory room, where i write all of my letters. >> reporter: for 42 years, she has dedicated one week a month, eight or more hours a day to writing letters to soldiers from her home town serving overseas. >> take a break for lunch but it is quick. a quick lunch. >> reporter: no e-mails here. each letter is unique and personal. >> a home-written note. just telling them that we care about them. >> reporter: today, she has a list of 52 men and women she is penning letters too, and she has no intention of retiring. >> that ink has not run out yet. >> reporter: while she cherishes every reply some are not as eloquent as others. >> he's a doctor... >> reporter: she cause them her children, and dori