Loan Modification.com » Author Archive
Loan modification – Negotiating to suit your affordability
If you are buying your home or any other property with the help of a loan, then that loan is called a mortgage loan. In such cases the property or the home that you purchase with that loan is considered to be collateral on the loan and can be confiscated by your lender in case you do not pay towards the mortgage loan. You should also remember that in the current times when financial unrest is not just a nightmare but a reality, you can go through a lean phase. This would mean that you will not be able to pay towards your mortgage payments properly. Under such circumstances you must opt for loan modification if you wish to protect your home from foreclosure.
Loan modification is the alteration or the changes that are brought about in the original terms of the mortgage loan. You must try and negotiate a loan modification with your lenders and salvage your home from getting foreclosed.
Some of the steps which you must consider when negotiating with your lenders are as follows.
1. Have through knowledge about your finances: It is important that you have a sound knowledge about your finances before you seek any kind of negotiation with your lender. You should keep track of what your total income is and how much you will be able to put towards your mortgage payments comfortably. If you can manage to put towards the mortgage payments some extra money by cutting down on your expenses, then that should also be determined before you make the call to the lender.
2. Convey your situation to your lender: You must remember that the process of foreclosure is very expensive for your lenders. Thus, under normal circumstances even your lender does not wish to foreclose your house. This gives you an advantage as they will be more ready to help you out in making your loan payments affordable. So, contact your lender as soon as you can and tell them about your financial condition, they should be made aware about why you are finding it difficult to pay the mortgage loan as per the original terms.
3. Explain how you plan to repay: After you have contacted your lenders, then you may be asked about your plans for mortgage repayment. You should already be aware of how you will be making the mortgage payments to the lender and must enlighten the lender about these plans.
4. Appeal to your lender for help: When you are asking your lender for mortgage or loan modification, then you are actually asking for a favor. You must thus be very polite while you make the negotiations. Request the lender to postpone or reduce payments as per your financial state.
These are a few steps that you must consider if you want your loan modification to be approved.
Filed under: Avoid foreclosure, Loan Modification, Uncategorized
Effective Mortgage Loan Modification or Short Sale for 2011
The process of getting a mortgage loan modification or a short sale will be simpler in 2011. Getting sandbagged by your mortgage servicer will become much less likely in 2011 – if you follow the new rules.
First, you need to know that mortgage modification is now a do-it-yourself mortgage modification. Same for do-it-yourself short sale. Any other search in Google, such as, avoid foreclosure, prevent foreclosure, or stop foreclosure should result in the same process.
Why? Because the mortgage servicers have learned that no court will hold them accountable for being stupid. As long they don’t foreclose on you, you can’t make them do anything. Only when they file a foreclosure can you, the distressed homeowner, stop them. You stop them by proving that you are trying to negotiate a mutually beneficial solution to your ‘troubled asset.”
At least in the initial stages of mortgage modification negotiations, no third party can do anything you can’t do yourself. You wouldn’t pay someone to tie your shoes, would you?
The new Federal Trade Commission MARS Rule governing ‘up-front fees’ collected by any third party mortgage negotiator makes it highly unlikely that any firm will find it profitable to negotiate a mortgage on behalf of anyone anyway. This under-publicized new rule takes full effect at the end of January, 2011.
To prove good faith to your mortgage investor, you mail every supporting document by certified mail, return receipt requested. These receipts become part of your file that you might submit as evidence in any court foreclosure defense that may arise. The sooner you file, the less fees the mortgage servicer can attach because you have proof that they received your documents/file. Translated: No faxes.
We have anecdotal evidence that one well-known lender had a fax machine in their Loss Mitigation office that fed directly to their shredder. That is no joke, either.
When you call your mortgage servicer, you will be simply talking to a call center. They will be reading a computer screen prepared for them by a Loss Mitigation Department that benefits by foreclosure and fees; not by mortgage modification or short sale. You will never, ever talk to an authority decision maker on the phone. Get your mortgage servicer’s mailing address, request a mortgage modification or short sale package and get off the phone. Anything else just wastes your time and increases your stress.
You DO NOT have to miss mortgage payments to show “Imminent Default.” If you believe what you hear on the phone, call your local convenience store and ask them for instructions. Same authority level. Your mortgage servicer is simply a bill collector. You want to communicate with your mortgage investor. That means certified mail, RRR, period.
Next, you need to provide your mortgage investor with bank industry recognized calculations that show the best resolution to your distressed asset. The REST Report calculates the innumerable calculations needed for you and your mortgage investor to show either a mortgage modification or a short sale as the most beneficial resolution. These calculations result in an ultimate calculation of Net Present Value, USING THE BANK’S OWN SOFTWARE. You beat your lender with their own stick. This is a $2.8 million software program, and your bank knows it.
The Home Affordable Foreclosure Assistance. or HAFA, provision of HAMP (Home Affordable Mortgage Plan) has been a miserable failure. Once you commit, there’s no escape. There are no reports of satisfied homeowners that I can find; and many, many reports of RE agents that hated it. HAFA was written by the banks. ‘Nuff said.
We have run almost 1500 REST Reports with astounding results, both in and out of court. If for some reason, your mortgage servicer ignores the incontrovertible calculations of the REST Report, a foreclosure court judge will not. Has not.
Just imagine your mortgage servicer in front of the judge: “Mr. Lender, are these your calculations, using your software?” Lender: “Yes judge, they are.” You have just proved lack of good faith on the part of your lender. Game over.
Just imagine your mortgage investor going to their mortgage insurer: “So, Mr. Investor, Your own calculations show that a mortgage modification or short sale was the best solution to this distressed mortgage. And you want us to pay you for this foreclosure? We don’t think so.” Game over.
So, after you officially file your supporting documents, including the REST Report on top, you call your local District Court once a month to make sure your case is not on the docket. If not, enjoy your free house. If it
is, march right on down to your foreclosure court and file a copy of your entire file, with certified mail receipts and REST Report on top, as evidence in your foreclosure defense.
Just imagine: Your judge lives in your neighborhood. You have just submitted the bank’s own recognized and proven calculations, with proof of submission to the lender, (Read: good faith). Again, the results have been spectacular, both in and out of foreclosure court.
Lastly, in my two years of assisting distressed homeowners file their mortgage modification or short sale applications, I have found and supplied a spectacular hardship letter template. No one can or should write your hardship letter for you. But there are proven aspects to that letter that get results. It’s required as part of your application, and I know those aspects. Believe it or not, this is a human endeavor. You just have to get to a decision-making authority with an offer they can’t refuse. Heh. Reminds me of a movie I once saw.
Closing caveat: Because every foreclosure action and mortgage is unique, You may or may not need, or want, legal counsel in your mortgage modification or short sale journey. But there’s plenty of time for that later. And you’ll assuredly save money anyway by doing the REST Report research for your attorney anyway. Forensic loan audits are a separate, and probably subsequent, consideration also.
The author has been blogging about the mortgage lender treachery for a year and a half, as well as assisting distressed homeowners in mortgage loan modifications and short sales. For more information, please click: http://mortgage-monster.com/do-it-yourself-mortgage-modification or http://mortgage-mod-monster.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Christian_Dix
http://EzineArticles.com/?Effective-Mortgage-Loan-Modification-or-Short-Sale-for-2011&id=5631664
Filed under: Avoid foreclosure, Featured, Loan Modification, Short sale, Strategic default
How to Choose Your Loan Modification Company
How to Choose Your Loan Modification Company
Author: Loan Modification
Obtaining a mortgage modification can be very frustrating if you’re in debt, and find it very difficult to make your monthly payments. People often face problems while working out their loan modifications, and in such cases, it’s advisable to seek help from a loan modification company. Before hiring your loan modification expert, it’s worth finding out what kind of potential the particular professional has in providing the required help. The following pointers can help you in deciding how to choose the person.
- Can the company explain how the modification process works in details?
- How much will the modification cost?
- How exactly will the company help during the modification process?
- Can the lawyer successfully negotiate with your creditors while working out the modification?
- Can the company provide references of at least three individuals who have benefited from the services offered?
It’s important to employ the services of the right expert in working with your loan modification requirements. The services offered by the loan modification lawyer should help you benefit by:
- Knowing what kind of fees does the modification process involve? Normally, the initial fees range from zero to $3,000, and in case of a successful modification, the creditor charges 1% to 2% of the loan amount.
- Can the lawyer correctly identify your debt issues and problems?
- Can the company provide effective debt counseling?
- Knowing whether your lawyer possesses enough experience and abilities in working out a modification that works significantly in your favor.
- Finding out if the company has a good record of accomplishment in helping out troubled homeowners.
- Determining if the lawyer has the ability to effectively implement policies that will make the monthly payments more affordable. Loan modification totally depends upon arbitrations carried out with the creditors, and by using proper negotiation policies; it’s possible to gain additional leeway in terms of late-fee waivers and reducing the penalties levied upon your existing loan, and also in working out your home loan modification.
- What kind of success does the company have in preventing foreclosures?
Effective Settlements
Creditors and financial institutions are likely to consider your loan modification application more seriously if it comes from a reputed loan modification company. Findings indicate majority of the loan modifications executed by company s generally result into significantly reduced interest rates, and affordable terms and conditions.
Counseling Programs
All successful Loan modification companies tune in to the rapidly changing market scenario, and are capable of offering troubled homeowners best choices in working out their debt condition through counseling programs. The counseling is offered as a part of loan modification services, and is carried out prior to the actual modification. It helps the debtor in mentally preparing for the redemption of the renewed credit process. In addition, Loan modification companies also helps in working out the benefits offered by the state and federal governments.
Professional Services
At times legalities have to be worked out with the creditors. Obtaining loan modification help through professional would assist with fine print included in the modification contract or agreement, and make sure their clients understand the repercussions of the legal document. Moreover, the loan modification process does involve some nitty-gritty, which has to be worked out in the correct manner, and the best person to do it for you would be the modification professional.
Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/loans-articles/how-to-choose-your-loan-modification-company-4189136.html
About the Author
Alicia Pinder is a usual writer on www.Refinanceitt.com US based loan modification companies, which provides updated information on Mortgage modification program for millions of American homeowners who are facing foreclosure.
Filed under: Avoid foreclosure, Featured, Loan Modification, Uncategorized
Loan Modifications undergoing changes
In just the last few days, the Treasury Department announced sweeping changes to loan modifications program HAMP. If your home loan modification application has been sitting with your lender with no decision, you can expect that before your loan modification application is finalized, it will be reviewed based on the most recent changes.
Read more about the upcoming changes to home loan modifications announced by the Treasury Department here.
Filed under: Uncategorized