Question: Dear Steve, I bought my house in 2006, right before the first recession. In the midst of the chaos, I got a lawyer to get a loan modification, which allowed for annual increases to my APR. It went from 2% to 5.125% loan in 5 years. I currently owe a total of $255,640. The … Read more
The State of Connecticut is notoriously tough on debt relief companies, This is not new. I’ve been warning companies about this for many years. The State has just announced a new action that can serve as a learning moment for others. Advocate Processing Services and Jonathan Michael Kelley have been issued this order. The order … Read more
It’s probably a bad idea to start off with a negative but here it is, people in the debt relief industry are going to hate this article. Even friends of mine in the industry will be bummed. And why, because this article will tell you everything you need to look for when checking out a … Read more
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) previously went after Certified Forensic Loan Auditors (CFLA) who then in return went after the CFPB. According to the CFPB, “The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Bureau) filed a complaint in federal court in the Central District of California against Certified Forensic Loan Auditors, LLC (CFLA), Andrew Lehman (Lehman), and … Read more
Question: Dear Steve, Our mortgage adjusted to an obscene payment without prior notice As soon as we saw the new payment we immediately applied for a loan modification but were eventually turned down (with a nice offer to help short sell). Long story short, we had a snag with our loan when we originally bought … Read more
The Department of Justice announced that an Orange County, California, man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana, California, for his role as the sales manager of a multi-million dollar fraudulent mortgage modification scheme. Charles Wayne Farris, 55, of Aliso Viejo, California, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge David O. Carter for … Read more
A very smart reader sent in a mailer they recently received. After they did some snooping around it set off warning bells. I’ll share their story and you’ll see what I mean. “I received this in the mail. When I called the number I got a lady who ask for my eligibility code. I asked … Read more
“Dear Steve, I am 64 years old, a teacher. Every year, my salary has gone done (forced furlough days). Bad divorce-impulsively took a second mortgage on my townhome to pay child support and attorney fees (13.9%!). Currently in a DMP program for $22000 of credit card debt. Retire in 2 years-will get 50% of current … Read more
It’s easy to make you a victim and rip you off with a loan modification. People are willing to believe the wild claims companies make about being able to cut your loan balance or slice your interest rate. It sounds so good when the salespeople are pitching you. If you received a postcard or letter … Read more
“Dear Steve, Can you recommend a legitimate Loan Modification company anywhere in New jersey? All I hear are horror stories about these types of companies, and dealing with the bank directly is a joke. Any recommendation would be appreciated. Thank you, Michael” Dear Michael, The key point to remember is that no bank is required … Read more
“Dear Steve, Mortgage is not supported by Fannie or Freddie. Was “self” funded by Washington Mutual (original lender). Now mortgage is held by Chase. Rate is 5.75. Any way to refinance. Does not seem any “Obama plan” is applicable because of non-Fannie or Freddie support. Mortgage Modification? I received same notification from S C Law … Read more
“Dear Steve, I bought a condo in Owings Mills, MD in 2006 at the height of the mortgage boom(fraud etc.) My name is the only one on the books. Married 1 child. Canadian Citizen. 196K Purchase price. 80/20 loan. This loan was originated My a small lender and was sold to Wells Fargo the month … Read more
I’ve seen and covered so many mortgage modification scams that I wanted to show you how you can save yourself from being scammed, save thousands and modify your mortgage for free. Before you launch into paying anyone thousands for mortgage modification assistance you should explore your free options first. It’s important to know there is … Read more
Over the past few years there have been so many companies and people preying on homeowners in financial trouble. Wether it is the sale of a land trust, mortgage modification, mass joinder legal action against a lender, or whatever. The schemes and tricks never seem to end. But thanks to a reader who let me … Read more
“Dear Steve, Hi my name is Cindy. I tried several times to modify my mortgage loan to a lower monthly payment with my bank. Unfortunately, my bank dined me every time afterwards, they insist I try again later. I began to search for other means to have my mortgage modified. I came across the following … Read more