Saving Your Home From Foreclosure - Part 1

(Disclaimer: First, please keep in mind that I am NOT a personal finance expert and the information that follows is based on information readily available elsewhere on the internet.)


Number 1: Do your homework

Gather together all of your mortgage loan documentation. When did you last pay the bill? Where did you send it? What date did the check clear your bank? How much did you pay? Have you called them recently? Did you take notes on the call? If so, who did you speak to? Did you make any promises? Gather together all of your loan information so that you will have it handy... don't forget to make sure you have the account number. And if you have a second mortgage, make sure you have that information, too.

Research a few websites to learn the terminology and what options may be available to you from special assistance programs. Here are a few websites that I recommend:

http://makinghomeaffordable.gov/- This is the new government run resource for home owners.
Visit your mortgage lender's website (it should be listed on the last bill you received) they may have a special assistance program

Read the post ... and the notes... on Clark Howard's website about the loan modification program

Be very wary of the scam artists out there who promise to help you with your mortgage. You should NEVER have to pay anything to get help. Except maybe an application fee directly to YOUR mortgage company for a loan modification.

A national list of foreclosure assistance programs can be found on the National Association of Realtors website http://www.realtor.org/home_buyers_and_sellers/foreclosure_assistance_programs_by_state
The U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development - http://www.hud.gov/foreclosure/

Get to know the terminology with online mortgage glossaries like this one.


Number 2: Pick up the phone and call your lender.


Remember, everything you tell them can potentially be used to help them collect. So don't offer your life story to the first person who answers. That person is a customer service representative in the collections department. There's not a lot they can do for you. You want to speak to their supervisor or someone in "Loss Mitigation." Loss Mitigation is a department that most mortgage lenders have where the loan specialists are well versed in all of the programs and options the lender has available to work with you in bringing your loan current.

Typically, options your mortgage lender may have available include:
(see glossary for definitions)

1. Special Forebearance Plan - this is typically for a temporary financial set back


2. Repayment Plan - you agree to pay the past due amount spread out over a set period of time


3. Partial Claim - if you have an FHA loan, HUD may be able to help bring your account current


4. Loan Modification - if the investors backing your loan will allow it, the mortgage lender can modify the terms of your loan to keep you out of foreclosure

Take your time when you speak to the loan specialist so that they can type all of your information correctly into their database system. These "notes" that they're taking will be important as this process moves forward because the lender will refer to them in making decisions and whenever you call with questions. Think about what you're saying so that your story is consistent each and every time you call. I'm not saying you're not telling the truth but the lender is hearing a sob story from everyone these days. Make sure that your reason(s) for falling behind on your loan don't change from week to week.

The loan specialist in loss mitigation is going to ask you lots of questions about your current financial status. You will need to be prepared and have access to a fax machine. You may need to provide

• your income tax returns for one or two years
• copies of pay stubs (payroll)
• a list of all of your monthly expenses

All of this will help them to determine which of their options may best fit your situation so that you can avoid foreclosure.

Number 3: If all else fails, you may have to sell your home

Selling your home in a good market used to take about 90 days. Today the market reflects a trend of 6 - 12 months... But what if you can't afford your home anymore? What options do you have available to you to avoid foreclosure? One option is a short-sale.

Unfortunately, steps # 1 and # 2 may work to prove that you really can't afford your home anymore. In part 2 of this post, we will explore "short sales." A short sale is basically when you work with a realtor to sell your home for what you owe on the mortgage. The bank has to approve the sale. It's up to the bank whether or not they will allow you to sell your home for less than what is owed on the mortgage. This still will negatively impact your credit but not nearly as bad as a foreclosure.

I hope to have part 2 of "Saving Your Home From Foreclosure" published in the next few days. In the meantime, if you have questions, please feel free to email me or leave a comment.

Want a hot deal on a house? Georgia’s second-largest bank is in the mood to make one

Everyday, we hear a lot about how awful the housing market is... and every day someone unfortunately, loses their home to foreclosure. In another post, I'll write about what you can do to save your home if you're at risk (Check out a recent tweet: @brodysantiago Do you know someone who's behind on their mortgage? There is help - just ask for a "loan modification" http://ow.ly/j15O) but today, let's talk for a moment about a great opportunity to invest your real estate dollars in Real Estate Owned properties or REOs as they're known in the industry. These are properties owned by the bank that have been foreclosed upon. In metro Atlanta, this list continues to grow but in contrast to places like California or Nevada or the Florida condo market, we're not the land of foreclosures. There are many opportunities for the right investor here in metro Atlanta and I'm happy to assist.

Banks are pricing homes to move.

A recent AJC.com article reports:

Columbus-based Synovus is in the midst of a massive purge of
distressed property, mostly foreclosed homes and vacant lots.
Through auctions run by contractors, the banking company has sold thousands of
properties over the past four months as it works to cleanse a balance sheet
hammered by bad real estate bets, many in the troubled metro Atlanta
market. The sell-off continues this week and next as the bank plans to
auction off about 150 distressed properties through a combination of online and
live auctions. Properties on the block include homes from Carrollton to Canton
and vacant lots from Newnan to Austell.

Minimum bids at one auction hosted by Williams & Williams range from $10,000 for a 2-bedroom, 2-bath home in Cartersville to $50,000 for a 5-bedroom, 3-bath house in Woodstock.

Many banks are selling repossesed homes, but the numbers for Synovus are
eye-popping.
Keep reading...

Georgia is not feeling the greatest impact of the foreclosure crisis but I'm sure if you ask anyone who is living in a 1/2 empty condo building in Buckhead or a subdivision with overgrown lawns and vacant homes, they'd tell a different story. So if you're an investor or would like to evaluate if real estate investing is for you, let me know. There are some great deals in our market but the really good ones are going quick.

Summer Fun with the Kids

Summer is not really over for another six weeks and the "traditional" end of summer is still a month away too... but here in Georgia, summer is over as of Monday, August 10th when my kids return to school. We still have weekends of course and there are plenty of things to still do this week and have fun.

Things to do this week:

• Children's Park & Playground @ Centennial Olympic Park
• Zoo Atlanta - Beat the heat and get their early
• Atlanta Botanical Garden
• Chattahoochee Nature Center
  

August 22nd check out Centennial Park for "Games & Gadgets" with your kids