How to Avoid Foreclosure
Personally, I don’t think this is any more applicable now than it is any other year, but it’s always important for people who fall on hard times. There are definitely more positive ways to handle the banks and collectors, and it could allow you to keep your house, or at least sell it at a profit, before the bank takes it away.
Thanks to Lifehacker for the tip!
From the U.S. Housing and Urban Development web site,
Q: What Happens When I Miss My Mortgage Payments?Foreclosure may occur. This is the legal means that your lender can use to repossess (take over) your home. When this happens, you must move out of your house. If your property is worth less than the total amount you owe on your mortgage loan, a deficiency judgment could be pursued. If that happens, you not only lose your home, you also would owe HUD an additional amount.
Both foreclosures and deficiency judgments could seriously affect your ability to qualify for credit in the future. So you should avoid foreclosure if possible. [more...]
How to Avoid Foreclosure [HUD]
Avoid foreclosure on your home [Lifehacker]
Survey Asks Why More Delinquent Borrowers Don’t Call Lenders For Help [SFHomeBlog]
California Foreclosure Activity Up, But Still Near Historic Lows [SFHomeBlog]
My name is Steven Krystofiak, President of the Mortgage Brokers Association for Responsible Lending. http://www.mbarl.org I have a letter in a word document form that highlights the risks of the current loan industry unrealized by regulators and economists alike, mainly due to stated income loans.
Email me at contact@mbarl.org if you want me to send you a copy.
~ Steve Krystofiak
mbarl at July 15th, 2006 at 12:57 am ( )13 main points in the letter are;
1. Stated income loans are associated with fraud, and started to become popular in 2002.
2. Banks originate these loans because they are profitable and then sell them to reduce their risk.
3. Fraud is encouraged by the banks
4. Stated income loans help no one.
5. Exotic loans originated with stated income are now causing foreclosures or forcing homeowners to refinance into negatively amortized loans.
6. Stated income loans are why home prices have skyrocketed. They have caused a large demand in the US housing supply.
7. Banks have sold their loans and have already made their profit. Investors will soon realize stated income loans are too risky and stop purchasing them.
8. Almost anyone can get a stated income loan for $950,000.
9. Stated income loans cost consumers hundreds of dollars a year because of higher interest rates.
10. Stated income loans allow tax cheats to purchase homes easier.
11. Stated income loans are not always faster than fully documented loans.
12. Appraised values are often inflated. Underwriters are basing their decision on inflated home values, inflated incomes and inflated assets. The only “real” number is the FICO (credit) score. This is why underwriters have become focused on FICO scores.
13. Rules are not enough, they must be enforced.