This month, Inman News will gauge the depth of the U.S. real estate foreclosure problem with a series of articles, a reader survey and other news and features.

We'd like you to share you personal experiences in working with homeowners and properties facing foreclosure, and to hear your suggestions about ways to treat the financial and emotional wounds inflicted by the foreclosure wave and to minimize the impact of foreclosures on individuals and communities.

We are offering a $200 Amazon.com gift card to the author of the best essay we receive this month on the topic of "Fixing the Foreclosure Crisis." Essays should be 500-1,000 words in length, should not be promotional in nature and Inman News will retain all copyrights for published works. Send essays to: future@inman.com.

We will also award a free pass (for new registrations only) to the upcoming Real Estate Connect conference in San Francisco to the author of each essay we choose to publish in full at Inman.com.

Click here for more details.

Flickr photo by austrini.