A recent report from RealtyTrac indicated that one in every 452 U.S. housing units received a foreclosure filing in October, which translates into a 25 percent increase over Oct. 2007. But how does this unprecedented phenomenon impact temporary housing providers? Claims spoke with ALE Solutions' CEO Robert Zimmers about how foreclosures affect the temporary housing providers, and what he expects to be the major issues for the industry in 2009.

Does an increase in home foreclosures offer opportunities for temporary housing providers in terms of an increased inventory or lower prices? Are there caveats?

In 2008, home foreclosures was one of the biggest issues for temporary housing and all that surrounds it. Conventional wisdom says that having these properties on the market would be advantageous to temporary housing providers, but there's more to the story. Yes, there are more properties to choose from. Yes, you can sometimes get a lower price. However, there are a lot of renters in the market right now. Across the board, we have not seen a general discount in overall rental prices, but rather opportunities here and there. I expect that will stay the same in 2009.