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Is Bankruptcy the Solution to Stopping Foreclosure Proceedings?

June 26, 2014 by

foreclosure assistance for homeownersThere is a common misconception that filing for a bankruptcy, whether it be a Chapter 13 or Chapter 7 bankruptcy, is a solution to being sued in a foreclosure lawsuit. This is generally not the case. Although under certain limited circumstances bankruptcy may be helpful to you, you should consult with a foreclosure lawyer before considering filing a bankruptcy. Although my office has been involved in filing more than 800 bankruptcies, in most cases involving foreclosure, we do not recommend the filing of a bankruptcy in a federal bankruptcy court is the solution to the foreclosure problem. Foreclosure defense has become a niche legal practice. The litigating of foreclosures in New York State courts is becoming a more and more specialized area. Foreclosure defense lawyers over the past 20 years have developed unique skills in defending foreclosure lawsuits which put the banks on their heels and keep homeowners in their homes.

The Automatic Stay

The filing of a bankruptcy will immediately stop a foreclosure from moving forward. However, the automatic stay granted by a bankruptcy court is only a temporary solution to the underlying problem of the foreclosure. Most homeowners whose homes are in foreclosure are not only looking for a temporary solution to the problem. They are looking for a permanent solution. The filing of a bankruptcy is not necessarily the best route to take.

Foreclosure Lawyers

Financial institutions have engaged in numerous fraudulent, unethical, improper practices. There have been many lawsuits by attorney generals in all 50 states as well as the federal attorney general’s office with regard to these improper, fraudulent practices. The banks have been fined more than $100 billion for their improper and fraudulent practices.

There are numerous federal and state laws regulating bank practices. There are also procedural laws to protect consumers in the State of New York with regard to foreclosure lawsuits. There is an entire body of case law that has been developed which can be utilized to stop foreclosure lawsuits in their tracks, and in some situations, get these lawsuits dismissed.

Mortgage Modifications

New York State has a law which requires all financial institutions to negotiate in good faith at foreclosure court conferences with regard to mortgage modifications. The law is designed to help consumers stay in their homes. Unfortunately, the success rate in obtaining mortgage modifications in New York State is very low. However, pressure can be placed on a bank and its attorneys at these conferences to force them to make reasonable offers with regard to mortgage modifications.

Litigating the Foreclosure Case

In a foreclosure lawsuit, every individual has a right to ask for a jury trial. Jury trials provide homeowners with a constitutional level of protection. During the course of these trials evidence of robo-signing, sham foreclosure affidavits, improper bank practices, violation of federal Truth in Lending Laws, violation of New York State Consumer Protection Laws, and violation of procedural laws involving the initiation of foreclosure lawsuits can be put into evidence. If properly presented, these foreclosure lawsuits can be dismissed.

Conclusion

Although the bankruptcy may be a solution to some issues related to foreclosure proceedings, it is generally not the way to go. Homeowners facing foreclosure should fight the foreclosure in the New York State court they are sued in. The best way to deal with this issue is hire an experienced, dedicated foreclosure defense lawyer to see to it your rights are protected and that the banks have acted properly.helping homeowners stay in their homes

Filed Under: Bankruptcy, Foreclosure, Foreclosure Defense, Mortgage Modification Tagged With: , , , ,

Methods of Avoiding Foreclosure

February 28, 2014 by

Everyone who buys a home expects to be able to make their mortgage payments. Unfortunately, there are numerous hardships and problems in one’s life that may cause you to fall behind in making your mortgage payments. A death in the family, the loss of a job, a divorce, a disability or medical problem are just a few of the hardships that can occur that can cause you to fall behind on your mortgage payments.

Foreclosure is the start of proceedings to take back a home for non-payment of the mortgage. There are a number of strategies that can be utilized by a homeowner to avoid having their home being foreclosed.

Loan Forbearance Agreement

A loan forbearance agreement is a temporary arrangement between the homeowner and the bank. The purpose of the forbearance agreement is to give the homeowner a reasonable period of time to catch up on his or her mortgage payments. This gives the homeowner time to catch his or her breath! If the homeowner makes the agreements under the forbearance agreement they can become up to date on their mortgage.

Loan Modifications

The Home Affordable Mortgage Program (HAMP) was created by President Obama during his first administration. It still remains in effect in his current second term as President of the United States. This is a federal program that virtually all financial institutions are part of. The benefit of this program is it gives the homeowners who have fallen behind on their mortgage a chance to reduce their mortgage payments. The unfortunate part of the program is that it is an extremely poorly managed program by the individual banks and only approximately 1 in 5 people who apply for mortgage modifications are successful in obtaining them. In addition to President Obama’s mortgage modification program, many banks have their own internal mortgage modification programs. In theory, mortgage modification programs take into consideration the home’s current value, interest rates and the ability of the homeowner to make payments under this program.

Negotiated Short Sale

A negotiated short sale is a transaction where the homeowner contacts the bank and advises the bank they would like to sell the house which is currently under water (currently worth less than the amount of the mortgage). The bank, in a short sale, appraises the house and in the appropriate situation agrees that the house can be sold for less than the amount of the mortgage and the bank will satisfy the mortgage for less than they are owed. The writer of this article is not a big proponent of short sales. Short sales should only be undertaken at the end of the foreclosure process to avoid a deficiency judgement.

Bankruptcy

In the event you file a bankruptcy, you obtain a stay from a Federal Court that prevents a lender from moving forward with a foreclosure lawsuit in a New York State Court. In a Chapter 13 bankruptcy you enter into a plan to become current with your mortgage over a period of up to 5 years. In a Chapter 7 bankruptcy you eliminate the personal loan obligation portion of your debt. Therefore if the bank forecloses on your home, all they are entitled to receive is what they obtain from the sale of the house. They will not be able to obtain a deficiency judgment against you.assistance for homeowners

Filed Under: Foreclosure, Foreclosure Defense Tagged With: , , , ,

Should You Buy A Foreclosed Property?

July 23, 2012 by

In foreclosure situations the bank brings a foreclosure action against a home owner.  Sometimes, after many years, the bank successfully takes title of the home. They evict the family who lived in the home.  There can be significant financial benefits from buying a foreclosed home.  However, there are also a variety of potential drawbacks.

Was The Home Properly Maintained?

If a homeowner was unable to make his or her mortgage payments there is a substantial possibility that the home was not maintained very well.  Homeowners who can’t make mortgage payments don’t improve their homes and often don’t fix things that break.  There is also the possibility that the homeowner, when he was being evicted, engaged in malicious conduct damaging the home.

The following is a list of things you should look for before purchasing a foreclosed home:

  1. Is the home neat and clean? Sometimes bank foreclosed homes have been sitting empty for long periods of time.  No maintenance or cleaning has been done and the houses have fallen into disrepair.
  2. Is the home legal? Sometimes homeowners modify, extend, and change their homes without getting the appropriate approval from their local building departments.  This makes title unmarketable.  In the foreclosure process whether the title is marketable or not does not come up.  However if you buy the home and thereafter you decide to sell it you will be responsible for legalizing the home.  This can involve thousands of dollars of modifications, application fees and legal work.
  3. Has the home lost electricity? If the home was vacant for a long period of time and the electricity was cut off this can have a negative impact on the electrical appliances in the house.
  4. Water damage. If there have been leaks in the home while it was empty it is possible that the home has suffered from water damage.
  5. Low quality upgrades to the house or poorly done repairs. Sometimes the homeowners are short on money, they take short cuts when the upgrade, modify or repair their homes.  The expression “A stitch in time saves nine” may apply in these cases.  These poorly done upgrades or repairs may not last very long.
  6. Overgrown property.  Homeowners who can’t afford to maintain their homes often fail to maintain their yards and lawns.  The property may be overgrown and/or may require extensive landscaping.
  7. Vandals.  Homes that are empty have a higher propensity to be vandalized than homes that are occupied residences.  Vandalism can involve individuals breaking in to homes, breaking windows, damaging walls, and removing pipes in the basement to sell the copper or brass.

Although there are bargains to be had in buying foreclosures, be careful!  You should carefully inspect the home before purchasing it.  It is suggested that, you have an engineer write an engineering report on your home before buying a foreclosure.  The price may be cheap on a foreclosed home but the real question is have you bought a bargain or a money pit!

Filed Under: Foreclosure, Foreclosure Defense, Mortgage Modification Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Buyers Are Still Wary Of Purchasing Homes In New York

April 16, 2012 by

The housing market on Long Island did not improve in the month of January 2012. According to Multiple Listing Service on Long Island the median sales price of a home in Nassau County  fell 6.1% between January 2011 and January 2012.  This brought the median home price down from $410,000 to $385,000.  During the same period of time homes in Suffolk County fell 5.2%.  With the median price going from $313,000 to $296,800.  The volume of homes that were sold also was reduced.

James Retz, a Vice President at Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty in Cold Spring Harbor, stated with regard to the real estate market on Long Island it is “showing a lot of life, but there’s still a lot of caution.”

High Foreclosure Rates

The high foreclosure rates on Long Island continue to have a negative impact on the sales price of homes.  There are simply too many homes on the market in Long Island.  When you have a lack of equilibrium between the amount homes listed to be sold and the number of purchasers interested in buying homes the market will continue to go down.

Conclusion

It is still a difficult time to sell a house and buyers who are in the market today can obtain substantial bargains.

Real Estate Lawyers

The Real Estate Lawyers at the Law Offices of Schlissel DeCorpo can help you if your home is in foreclosure or if your home is heading toward foreclosure.  We can represent you at foreclosure court conferences.  We can submit foreclosure defenses in litigation brought by financial institutions against you.  A commonly utilized pleading involves defenses such as defective foreclosures, predatory lending, foreclosure fraud, and other real estate related defenses.  We can also help you with regard to a forensic audit with regard to your mortgage.  Call us and we will discuss your foreclosure options with you.
An additional option when faced with foreclosure is filing a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy.

Our attorneys are available to discuss foreclosures related to bankruptcy with you.  Feel free to call us.

Filed Under: Bankruptcy, Current Events, Foreclosure, Foreclosure Defense, Mortgage Modification Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Twenty Five Million Dollar Mortgage Settlement

April 11, 2012 by

The Federal Government has recently settled for 25 million dollars with Bank of America, Wells Fargo, JP Morgan Chase, Citigroup, and Ally Financial with regard to pending litigation concerning their improper activities regarding mortgages.

The cases were initially started in 2010.  Banks were initially found of guilty of signing off on foreclosures without appropriately reviewing them.  The scandal uncovered what has been referred to as robosigning.  Robosigning is where bank officials sign documents without reading them.  Sometimes as many as hundreds of these documents within a day.

Banks Broke The Law

The banks involved in the robosigning scandal broke the law.  As a result of their improper activity thousand of homeowners were evicted from their homes for invalid or nonexistent documentation.

Who Receives the 25 Million?

The exact details with regard to the settlement have not been worked out. However, it is anticipated the money will be allocated as follows:

1.         1.5 billion dollars in cash payments will go to approximately 750,000 qualified homeowners who lost their homes in foreclosure between 2008 and 2011.  This works out to about $2000 per homeowner.

2.         Banks will agree to 17 billion dollars in principle reductions concerning homeowners who have homes that are underwater and are either at risk of default or currently in default on their mortgages.

3.         3 billion dollars will be allocated to homeowners who are currently paying high mortgage raters or have adjustable mortgages.  The adjustable mortgages can be reset to very low interest rates.

4.         The balance of the settlement funds will be utilized for consumer protection programs and to establish reforms with regard to the bank servicing agency.

It is estimated that it will take between eight and ten months to set up a methodology of distributing the funds and establishing who the homeowners are that would have to be compensated.  The settlement will be thereafter put into effect for a period of 36 months.

Federal officials have suggested that the total amount of funds paid by the financial institutions will end up being as high as 39 billion dollars.

This Is Not Enough

Paul Dales, a housing economist recently stated “you are hardly skimming the surface.  It could help some people a lot, individually. But in terms of the big picture, overall economy and housing market, it is really just a drop in the ocean of the problem.  Only the five banks mentioned have agreed to this settlement, while mortgages funded by Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are exempt.  This cuts more than half of the homeowners from eligibility right off the bat.”

Punishment for Banks

Experts feel that the 25 billion dollars being paid by the financial institutions will not have a significant impact on dealing with the housing crisis in the United States.  While the plan may be flawed, it is a start in the right direction!

Stopping Foreclosure By Filing Bankruptcy

Foreclosure related bankruptcy filing is one of the possible options in dealing with foreclosure problems.  Individuals and spouses can file either Chapter 7 or a Chapter 13 bankruptcies.  The filing of the bankruptcy immediately stops foreclosures from moving forward, stops debt collection practices and stops creditor harassment.  In some circumstances the filing of bankruptcy can eliminate second mortgages.  Call us and we can discuss the types of bankruptcy that are available to you and why filing bankruptcy may be in your interest and other foreclosure defense related options.

Attorneys Who Defend Foreclosures In New York

The Long Island foreclosure defense lawyers at The Law Offices of Schlissel DeCorpo have for more than two decades been representing the families in the courts of Nassau and Suffolk Counties.  The firm helps clients obtain mortgage modifications.  The firm also prepares forensic audits on behalf of clients.  If a foreclosure action is started, the firm submits written answers alleging defenses such as predatory lending, defective foreclosure lawsuits and defective mortgages.  The firm’s attorneys appear in court for settlement conferenceand pressure the financial institutions to give their clients mortgage modifications.

Foreclosure related bankruptcies are another option to deal with foreclosure lawsuits.  Either the filing of a Chapter 7 or a Chapter 13 bankruptcy will bring a foreclosure proceeding to a halt.  Either of these bankruptcies can be utilized to stop foreclosures, stop debt collection, and stop creditor harassment.  Contact the firm for a free consultation.

Filed Under: Bankruptcy, Current Events, Foreclosure, Foreclosure Defense, Mortgage Modification, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mortgage Services Agree to 25 Billion Dollar Settlement For Their Improper Activities Regarding Mortgages

April 6, 2012 by

Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Americans who lost their homes in foreclosures between 2008 and 2011 will be able to qualify for up to $2000 in reimbursement from a settlement worked out with large financial institutions.

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman

New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman played a key role in working out the settlement with the large financial institutions. However this settlement doesn’t excuse criminal activity on behalf of the mortgage services. Schneiderman has stated that he will keep pursuing his investigation with regard to mortgage abuses.

Schneiderman said “there are huge tax fraud implications to some of the stuff involving mortgages that we went on.” The large financial institutions involved in the settlement are Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citigroup and Ally Financial Services.

Too Little Too Late

The $2000 dollars being paid to people who lost their homes is much too little and it is being paid much too late. Schneiderman stated that the settlement is just a down payment. He intends on pursuing interest and further penalties on the financial servicing companies.

Long Island Foreclosure Lawyers

The Long Island foreclosure defense lawyers at The Law Offices of Schlissel DeCorpo have for more than two decades been representing the families in the courts of Nassau and Suffolk Counties. The firm helps clients obtainmortgage modifications. The firm also prepares forensic audits on behalf of clients. If a foreclosure action is started, the firm submits written answers alleging defenses such as predatory lending, defective foreclosure lawsuits and defective mortgages. The firm’s attorneys appear in court for settlement conferenceand pressure the financial institutions to give their clients mortgage modifications.

Foreclosure related bankruptcies are another option to deal with foreclosure lawsuits. Either the filing of a Chapter 7 or a Chapter 13 bankruptcy will bring a foreclosure proceeding to a halt. Either of these bankruptcies can be utilized to stop foreclosures, stop debt collection, and stop creditor harassment. Contact the firm for a free consultation.

Filed Under: Bankruptcy, Current Events, Foreclosure, Foreclosure Defense, Mortgage Modification, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Strategic Defaults

April 3, 2012 by

Walking Away From Your House

Strategic default is the new concept in how homeowners are dealing with mortgages on homes that are underwater.  A strategic default is simply when you stop paying your mortgages.  Many homeowners are considering strategic defaults on their mortgages.  It is estimated that over eleven million homes are now underwater in America.  More than three and a half million homeowners are behind in their mortgage payments.  There are already a million and a half homes currently in the foreclosure process.

The New York Federal Reserve estimates that there are an additional 3.6 million foreclosures that will be taking place in the next few years.  Does it make sense to keep paying a mortgage on a home where it will be many years before the home regains its former value?  A columnist named James Surowiecki recently wrote in the New Yorker Magazine that paying mortgage payments for a home that is underwater is “setting a pile of money on fire every month”.

Mortgage Payments: A Moral Quandary?

For some families there is a moral quandary in making the decision to stop making mortgage payments on a home that is underwater.  Should families be embarrassed or feel they are going to lose respect as they break their mortgage contract obligations and stop paying their mortgage?  Companies utilize the bankruptcy process to default on their financial obligations when they feel it is appropriate.  So why shouldn’t individuals consider it is a business decision as to whether they should pay their mortgage payments when their home is underwater and it is unlikely it will ever get back to its former value at anytime in the near future?

Penalties For Not Paying Your Mortgage

Obviously the first penalty is that your home will eventually go into foreclosure.  However the foreclosure process in the State of New York, as in most other states, is a slow process.  This means you won’t be forced to leave your home in the short run.

The second issue involves your credit score.  Not making mortgage payments will definitely have a negative impact on your credit score.  It is estimated that your credit score will go down a minimum of 85 to 100 points if you default on making mortgage payments.

Strategic default is not something to be taken lightly.  It should be considered as a last option.  Your first option should be to make a mortgage modification.  Mortgage modifications allow you to rework your mortgage to more favorable terms.

If you decide to strategically default you should save the funds that had formally been allocated to make mortgage payments.  This will give you the ability to retain an attorney to fight the foreclosure in court.  It will also give you money for a down payment on an apartment that you may need to rent down the line.

Tax Implications of Strategic Defaults

If a portion of your debt is forgiven by a financial institution the forgiven amount is considered taxable income by the Internal Revenue Service.  You may end up receiving a 1099 from your bank that you will have to declare on your income taxes.  You should talk to a tax professional with regard to how to handle this tax issue.

Strategic defaults are not for everybody but more and more people are making this choice!

Foreclosure Lawyers

If your house is in foreclosures we can help you.  The Law Offices of Schlissel DeCorpo have been helping New Yorkers stay in their homes.  To start with we can help you with the mortgage modifications.  We are familiar with the problems mortgage modification programs have.  We can also assist you with a forensic audit with regard to your mortgage.  Should you be served with a summons and complaint we will appear in court for you and attend settlement foreclosure conferences.  During these conferences we will press the financial institutions to cooperate in giving you a mortgage modification.  We will submit answers to the formal compliant submitted by the banks.  Our answers will allege defenses such as defective mortgages, defective foreclosure law suits, predatory lending, foreclosure fraud and other real estate related defenses.

We will advise you with regard to all of your foreclosure options.  One of your options may be a foreclosure related bankruptcy.  There are two types of bankruptcies that can be utilized in foreclosure. A Chapter 7bankruptcy and a Chapter 13 bankruptcy.  There are benefits and drawbacks to each of these bankruptcies.  When you file bankruptcy it immediately stops creditor harassment.  All debt collection activity has to come to an end when a creditor receives notice of a bankruptcy filing.  Foreclosure proceedings also are immediately frozen upon the filing of a bankruptcy.  At the end of the bankruptcy process you receive adischarge of your debts.  We educate our clients with regard to reestablishing credit and the end of the bankruptcy.  There are many bankruptcy myths such as you will never receive credit again that are simply untrue.  At your initial free consultation with our office will we describe the bankruptcy process.  We will explain to you what bankruptcy exemptions are and why it may be necessary to file bankruptcy.  Feel free to call us for a free consultation 1-800-344-6431, 516-561-6645 and 718-350-2808.

Filed Under: Bankruptcy, Current Events, Foreclosure, Foreclosure Defense, Mortgage Modification, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Summer Home Buying Season, the Worst in Five Decades

December 6, 2011 by

home1Spring of each year starts the home buying season. The months of April through the end of August signals the time that most home buyers come into the market. This is usually a time of heightened activity in the real estate market for the sale of single family homes. This was not true, however, in the year 2011. From the period of April through the end of August of 2011, fewer homes were sold in the United States during any six month period in the last fifty years. Home sales from the Spring and Summer were the weakest since 1963. This is an indication of how poor the real estate market and the economy in the United States is doing.

Low Mortgage Rates

Mortgage rates reached their lowest levels since records were kept during the Summer months. However, even with record low mortgage rates and home prices continuing to go down, would-be buyers are still not being enticed. Approximately one hundred and seventy thousand homes were sold from March through August of this year. This is even less than was sold in the same period in 2010, which, up until that time, was the worst in a half a decade. Normally, approximately four hundred thousand homes would sell during this period of time.

Home Prices Falling

The medium price for the sale of existing homes fell to approximately $168,000. This was decreased in 5% from the prior year. New home prices averaged about $209,000, which was almost 8% less than the prior year. Low priced foreclosure sales and short sales have been driving the market down. This causes real estate brokers to press sellers to lower their prices on their homes to compete with these foreclosures and short sale homes. It is estimated that homes in foreclosure and short sales sell for 20% less than their market value. This has the impact of lowering home prices throughout the areas where the short sales and foreclosures are located.

Is the single family home becoming a depreciating asset? Is the American dream over? I don’t think so. However, we may be headed for an additional five years of flat real estate prices before we see a significant rebound

Bankruptcy can act as an escape valve to prevent the loss of a home, stop foreclosure, eliminate a second mortgage and stop debt collection harassment. Your credit can be re-established after filing either a Chapter 7 or a Chapter 13 bankruptcy One bankruptcy myth is that you will never receive credit again after filing bankruptcy. This is simply untrue.

Bankruptcy Lawyers

Should you have questions or issues concerning your financial situation or are considering filing for bankruptcy, feel free to call the Law Offices of Schlissel DeCorpo. We’ve been helping our clients for more than 45 years deal with foreclosure defense and bankruptcy matters. We can be reached at 1-80–344-6431, 516-561-6645 or 718-350- 2802.

Filed Under: Bankruptcy, Current Events, Foreclosure, Foreclosure Defense, Mortgage Modification Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Falling Home Prices Wreaking Havoc on the Economy

December 2, 2011 by

Falling Home Prices WreakingEconomists in the United States are taking the position that falling home prices are a significant problem preventing the economic recovery in the United States. The devaluation of homes in the United States has cost Americans billions of dollars. The declining wealth of American homeowners has had a further negative impact on their confidence that the financial situation will improve in the future.

Richard Curtin, Professor of Economics at the University of Michigan, recently stated “people don’t expect their home to regain value, and that’s really lead to a change in consumer attitudes about the economy that we’ve just never seen before.”

Americans have a confidence problem in their future of their country. They no longer believe that the economy will necessarily improve and financial circumstances will get better. The average income of many American families has declined. The unemployment rate is still over 9%. The expectations for economic growth among Americans have fallen to one of the lowest levels in history.

The Decline of the Real Estate Market

Recent studies by economists have shown the decline in the real estate market affecting all aspects of consumer spending. It is estimated that Americans reduce their spending by $20-$70 a year for every $1,000 decline in the equity in their home. During times of appreciation in real estate, there was a “wealth effect.” The wealth effect made consumers feel that they had liquidity and, therefore, they spent more money. Often more than they actually had. The down side of the wealth effect is, as home values have declined, consumer confidence has declined and there has been a negative reduction in the wealth effect. In other words, consumers feel they’re getting poorer when their houses go down in value and are less inclined to spend money.

Economy Will Eventually Recover

The prevailing view among the economists is that even though things do not look good right now, the economy will eventually get better and Americans will start spending again. Hopefully, appreciating real estate prices will spearhead the economic recovery.

Foreclosure Lawyers

The foreclosure lawyers at the Law Offices of Schlissel DeCorpo can help you if you have a foreclosure problem. Our foreclosure defense lawyers litigate defective mortgages, defective foreclosure lawsuits, predatory lending and all other types of real estate related matters. We can explain the federal laws on foreclosure and how they affect you. We attend foreclosure court conferences for our clients.

In the appropriate situation, we will discuss foreclosure related bankruptcy issues, such as filing a Chapter 7 and a Chapter 13 bankruptcy with you. In bankruptcy situations, there is an automatic stay that goes into effect, ordered by the court, that stops foreclosure from moving forward. In some bankruptcy situations, we can eliminate second mortgages. At the end of the bankruptcy, we can assist you inre- establishing your credit. Feel free to set up a free consultation with us. We will discuss your foreclosure options with you.

Filed Under: Bankruptcy, Current Events, Foreclosure, Foreclosure Defense, Mortgage Modification, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Government Turning a Quarter Million Foreclosed Homes Into Rentals

November 29, 2011 by

Homes Into RentalsThe President is considering turning a quarter of a million homes taken over by government controlled agencies into rentals. Putting these homes on the market for sale will only further depress the real estate market. The Federal Housing Finance Agency would like to put 250,000 homes that are owned by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the Federal Housing Administration on the market to be rented. These homes have been obtained by government agencies pursuant to foreclosure proceedings. Edward DeMarco, who is currently the acting director of the Federal Housing Agency, has stated that “renting these homes instead of selling them in foreclosure may reduce credit losses and help stabilize neighborhoods and home value.” It is estimated that homes placed on the market for sale in foreclosure sell for 20% less than their actual value.

Foreclosure Crisis Creates Demand In Rental Market

Since the housing crisis started, approximately three million former homeowners are now renting. This has reduced the inventory of homes available to be rented. Families that lose their homes in foreclosure have no choice but to rent. Their credit is ruined by the foreclosure proceedings, they generally have no money for a down payment and their only option is to rent. There are those who claim America is becoming a society of renters. The American dream of owning a single family home may become a broken dream. This dream emanated from the conclusion that owning a home would not only provide you with a stable place to live, but will allow you to develop equity. However, during a time of economic turmoil the value of single family homes has been going down. A home, instead of being a worthwhile investment in real estate for the past few years, has been a horrible investment. Single family homes have been declining in value for the last five years. It is estimated that it may be an additional five to ten years before single family homes start increasing in value. In a market where the value of real estate is going down, renting seems to be the logical choice. Why buy a home today that will be worth less in the future?

I think the Obama Administration is on the right track. I believe instead of foreclosing on homes and selling them at auction, the homes should be rented to prevent the continuing oversupply of homes to the real estate market. This will give the real estate market a greater opportunity to reach equilibrium between buyers and sellers. Down the road, when the real estate market recovers, the government can offer these homes to be sold to their renters or to other worthy individuals or families.

Foreclosure Defense Lawyers

Before your house falls into foreclosure, it is suggested you apply for a mortgage modification. If your mortgage modification program does not meet your needs, unfortunately your home may end up being foreclosed upon. Should you receive a Summons and Complaint in foreclosure, our law office can help you. We will attend foreclosure court conferences on your behalf and speak to the Judge about motivating your financial institution to give you a mortgage modification. We’ll also submit a formal written answer on your behalf. Defenses such as defective mortgages, predatory lending, defective foreclosure lawsuits and other real estate related legal defenses can be interposed on your behalf. Our law firm will use its extensive experience in handling these types of cases, to keep you in your home.

We will also discuss with you foreclosure related bankruptcy options. Filing a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy may be the best route for you in dealing with your foreclosure situation. Why should you file bankruptcy and the types of bankruptcies available to you would be discussed upon your initial free consultation. Should you file bankruptcy you can sometimes eliminate second mortgages. Bankruptcy will stop foreclosure proceedings from moving forward and stop all debt collection activity against you. Call us for a free consultation.

We will discuss all of your foreclosure and bankruptcy options with you. Our phone numbers are 1-800-344-6431, 516-561-6645 or 718-350-2802. You’ve just visited the Elliot Schlissel, Esq. foreclosure blog.

Filed Under: Bankruptcy, Current Events, Foreclosure, Foreclosure Defense, Mortgage Modification, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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Attorney Elliot S. Schlissel

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Disclaimer: The information you obtain at this website is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. You should consult an attorney for individual advice regarding your particular legal issue. This is attorney advertising.