Mortgage Modifications for Customers Whose Mortgages are Current

Banks are turning their backs on millions of Americans whose homes are in foreclosure. At the same time, several large banks are approaching borrowers whose mortgages are not in default and offering to reduce their debts or modify the terms of their mortgages.

JP Morgan Chase and Bank of America, two of the largest financial institutions in the United States, have been contacting borrowers whose mortgages are up to date, offering them special deals. The borrowers being contacted by these banks have pay option adjustable rate mortgages. These banks seek to eliminate as many of these mortgages from their books as possible.

The banks approach individuals whose homes are underwater, but who are current on their mortgage payments. While many borrowers who are in deep financial trouble need help, the banks are ignoring these situations. Instead, they’re making unsolicited contacts and, in theory, rewarding the customers who have done right by them.

Dan B. Fraham, a spokesman for Bank America, recently stated “by proactively contacting pay option ARM customers and discussing other products with better options for long term, affordable payments, we hope to prevent customers from reaching a point where they struggle to make their payments.”

In theory, the banks have decided to make deals regarding mortgage loans that gives borrowers the option of skipping the principal payments and some of the interest payments for a period of several years. Thereafter, the unpaid balance is added to the principal of the loan. The banks are concerned that if these underwater loans go, eventually the homeowners simply abandon them. This is a great deal for these homeowners who’ve kept their loans current. Unfortunately, this ignores approximately 33% of the outstanding mortgages that are either in default or underwater!

Long Island and New York City Foreclosure Defense

The Law Offices of Schlissel DeCorpo handles foreclosure defense for homeowners. We litigate all aspects of foreclosure proceedings including, but not limited to, defective foreclosure lawsuits,defective mortgages, predatory lending issues, bad faith, and other real estate legal issues. We attend foreclosure court conferencesfor the clients we represent. We also assist our clients in the preparation of mortgage modification applications, as well as deal with mortgage modification programs that are unresponsive to our clients’ needs.

In certain situations, foreclosure related bankruptcies can be utilized to stop foreclosures from moving forward. Upon filing either a Chapter 7 or a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, the bankruptcy court issues an automatic stay that stops the foreclosure lawsuit from moving forward. It should be noted that bankruptcy proceedings are brought in the United States Bankruptcy Court, while foreclosure proceedings are brought in New York State Courts.

For our clients who file bankruptcy, we can sometimes eliminate second mortgages. We also can assist our clients in re-establishing their credit after filing bankruptcy. Should you have questions as to what type of bankruptcy would be appropriate for you or whether there is other alternatives related to foreclosure defense, feel free to contact us. At your initial free consultation, we will discuss all of your foreclosure options. We look forward to seeing you again on our foreclosure blog.

Foreclosure Rates Climbing on Long Island

Foreclosure Rates Climbing on Long IslandForeclosure rates have been climbing on Long Island for the past few months. The increase in foreclosure rates is related to lenders moving more vigorously to foreclose on homes after stopping for several months to review their practices to make sure they are in compliance with state and local laws. After employees from financial institutions admitted that they had signed foreclosure documents without reading them, New York state courts began requiring lenders and lawyers to scrutinize and check the paperwork they receive from their clients. State court judges have been aggressive in seeing to it that the lenders have all of the appropriate paperwork before they move forward with foreclosure proceedings.

As banks have corrected what many thought to be abuses of the foreclosure process, they have now become more confident that they are acting appropriately with regard to their foreclosure proceedings. This has allowed them to speed up the foreclosure processing of documents internally within their organizations.

During the first half of the year, investigations by local and state officials of bank abuse caused banks to take a second look at their foreclosure process. However, banks seem to have dealt with their problems and are now moving forward aggressively to foreclose on homes on Long Island.

The increased foreclosure activity has a negative effect on the housing market. The more homes that come on to the already over crowded housing market through foreclosure sales have an impact of reducing home values in the area of the foreclosed home.

Long Island and New York City Foreclosure Defense

The Law Offices of Schlissel DeCorpo handles foreclosure defense for homeowners. We litigate all aspects of foreclosure proceedings including, but not limited to, defective foreclosure lawsuits,defective mortgages, predatory lending issues, bad faith, and other real estate legal issues. We attend foreclosure court conferencesfor the clients we represent. We also assist our clients in the preparation of mortgage modification applications, as well as deal with mortgage modification programs that are unresponsive to our clients’ needs.

In certain situations, foreclosure related bankruptcies can be utilized to stop foreclosures from moving forward. Upon filing either a Chapter 7 or a Chapter 13 bankruptcy, the bankruptcy court issues an automatic stay that stops the foreclosure lawsuit from moving forward. It should be noted that bankruptcy proceedings are brought in the United States Bankruptcy Court, while foreclosure proceedings are brought in New York State Courts.

For our clients who file bankruptcy, we can sometimes eliminate second mortgages. We also can assist our clients in re-establishing their credit after filing bankruptcy. Should you have questions as to what type of bankruptcy would be appropriate for you or whether there is other alternatives related to foreclosure defense, feel free to contact us. At your initial free consultation, we will discuss all of your foreclosure options. We look forward to seeing you again on our foreclosure blog.

Home Construction Rates Keep Falling

The home construction industry in the United States is in the doldrums. Builders are not applying for permits for new projects. Applications for building permits are at the lowest level in fifty years. Falling home prices, the huge glut of foreclosed homes in the market place and purchasers reluctance to buy a new home is destroying significant portions of the home building industry.

Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

Americans need jobs. The unemployment rate is too high! The housing industry will not recover unless more Americans are employed.

Tight Credit Markets

Both builders and prospective home purchasers need to obtain credit before they can build and buy homes. Right now small home building companies have been shut out of the credit market. Since they can’t obtain credit, they do not have the means to build homes. The few that are building homes are finding it very difficult to find perspective purchasers who’s credit scores and liquidity allows them to qualify for a new mortgage.

The housing industry in the United States is a mess. Things will continue to get worse unless financial institutions make it easier for homeowners to modify their mortgages.

Foreclosure Help in New York

If your home is in foreclosure we can help you. Our law office defends homeowners in foreclosure proceedings. We litigate defective mortgages, defective lawsuits, predatory lending issues related to foreclosures and other real estate problems. We are familiar with federal laws that deal with foreclosure. We assist our clients with mortgage modifications. After foreclosure lawsuits are started, we represent our clients at foreclosure court conferences.

Bankruptcy

In the appropriate situations we file foreclosure related bankruptcies for our clients. These bankruptcies can either be a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy. These bankruptcies can be used to eliminate second mortgages, stop foreclosure proceedings and also stop all debt collection activity. At the end of the bankruptcy, we can help our clients in re-establishing their credit. Feel free to call for a free consultation or contact us online.

Foreclosure and Unemployment

Recent news reports have indicated that it will take approximately 24 months for the New York City and Long Island area to recover from the current high levels of unemployment. It is estimated that the metropolitan New York are will not return to it’s pre – recession levels of employment until April of 2013. Metropolitan New York is doing better at recovering from the recession then other parts of the country. It is estimated that the majority of the country will take 3 years to reduce the unemployment rates to pre – recession levels.

New York Real Estate

Although property values have not recovered from the real estate crisis, in the State of New York, real estate experts are proclaiming that we are doing better than California, Arizona and the majority of the sun belt. Although the pundits are claiming things will get better, I don’t see this happening. Foreclosure rates in the Metropolitan New York area continue to climb. Banks are refusing to provide feasible mortgage modifications to homeowners. Unemployment rates are remaining steady or climbing. The business areas in local communities have been devastated. There are empty stores everywhere.

2012 is an election year. President Obama is going to have to take further action to simulate our economy and revitalize our housing markets if he wants to get re – elected.

Litigating Foreclosures In New York State Courts and In Federal Courts

There are two different routes to dealing with homes that are in foreclosure. The cases can be defended in the New York State Courts. Defective mortgages, defective foreclosure lawsuits, predatory lending and other real estate related defenses can be submitted in a response to the service of the summons and complaint in a foreclosure proceeding. Mortgage modification applications can also be submitted to the financial institutions.

Filing Bankruptcy to Stop Foreclosure

The second route is filing foreclosure related bankruptcies. Both Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcies will stop foreclosures from moving forward. The filing of bankruptcies will also eliminate unsecured debts, stop debt collection, harassment and in some cases, eliminate second mortgage liens. Call us for a consultation and we will discuss why filing bankruptcy may be in your interest, the types of bankruptcy available to you and how to re-establish credit after filing bankruptcy.

How to Pick a Real Estate Agent

Buying a home may be the largest purchase for a family during their lifetime. Picking the correct real estate agent can eliminate many problems involved in the process.

Real Estate Agents Work on a Commission Basis

Real estate agents are not paid a salary. They work on a commission basis. They receive a commission only if they’re successful in selling the house.

Try to Obtain a Recommendation

The best way to find a competent and honest real estate agent is to ask your friends, family members, attorneys, accountants or other individuals who you respect for recommendations. You should practice due diligence and interview two or three real estate agents before deciding on one to represent you.

Real Estate Agents Represent the Sellers

A real estate agent is the agent of the seller. The real estate agent does not represent the buyer. They may appear to be your friend but be careful, what a real estate agent is primarily interested in is earning a living by selling homes.

Sellers Beware

Real estate agents, upon meeting with the prospective seller, want to obtain the listing. The agent will receive a commission even if he or she does not show your home. One of the things an agent may say to you in their first meeting is “I believe I have a buyer for your house”. This is a sales pitch. They may have a buyer who wants a house in your town, but they have no idea they want your house in particular. Another sales technique involves the agent telling you that they have obtained a great offer. However, this offer may be far below what you seek to obtain from the sale of your house. Remember, if a perspective purchaser makes you an offer and it is below what you want, you can make them a counter offer and meet them halfway or three quarters of the way to the price you want.

Buyers and Sellers

Buyers and sellers have different interests. A seller wants to get as much for his or her home as possible. The buyer wants to pay as little as possible. Both of them may be dealing with the same real estate broker. This may create a conflict of interest.

Real Estate Brokers Recommending Lawyers

The real estate broker you go to may recommend a lawyer to handle the real estate transaction. The broker may say this lawyer is affiliated with our office and he or she will give you a good deal. The issue you must look into is whether that lawyer really has your best interest at heart or is the real estate broker’s best interest his or her main concern. Real estate brokers refer lawyers to their prospective clients who they know will protect them with regard to their commissions. In most situations, you are better off having an independent lawyer that you obtained from another source.

Metropolitan New York Foreclosure Defense Lawyers

The New York City and Long Island foreclosure defense 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. Thank you for visiting our foreclosure blog.

The Fantasy of Pre-approval of Mortgages

Pre-approval for mortgages is a fantasy. At our law office, our clients have been coming to us for years and advising us that they’ve spoken to their mortgage broker and they’ve been pre-approved. Pre-approval is a marketing device for mortgage brokers and financial institutions. It does not mean that you will receive a mortgage!Pre-approval is usually subject to underwriting, credit checks, validation of financial information and all types of other prerequisites. The following is an example of how pre-approval really works:

The prospective homeowner goes into the financial institution. A salesperson tells the perspective homeowner that he or she has been pre-approved for a mortgage. Based on this information, the prospective homeowner finds a house to buy and enters into a real estate contract. The financial institution does credit checks, checks employment, and thereafter underwrites the loan.

In the end, the financial institution can turn down the mortgage for numerous reasons, including not fulfilling the obligations of the underwriting process or by simply stating that the pre-approval was for only a limited period of time and that the prospective purchaser has exceeded that period of time in going from contract to closing on the transaction. This leaves the homeowner high and dry. You don’t have your mortgage until you are sitting at the closing table and the check from your financial institution is given to the seller.

Nassau County Foreclosure Defense Lawyer

Our law firm deals with the following issues: mortgage modification programs, foreclosure, court conferences, foreclosure litigation, defective mortgage foreclosure lawsuits, predatory lending issues, bad faith by financial institutions, defective mortgages and real estate issues in general. We also deal with the filing of Chapter 7 bankruptcy, Chapter 13 bankruptcy, re-establishing credit and stopping foreclosures. Should you have any of these problems, call us! We can help you.

Mortgage Reform by President Obama

President Obama seeks to reform the mortgage industry in the United States. He plans on accomplishing this by significant changes in government backed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. President Obama has presented several different options to the United States Congress for reducing the country’s dependence on Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. His program is one of fundamental reform of the mortgage industry. He hopes these reforms will provide greater protection for consumers and allow middle class Americans to obtain affordable mortgages.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

Government backed Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are involved in approximately 90% of the mortgages, one way or another, in America. As of now, these two government backed agencies have over $150 billion dollars in losses! It is anticipated these losses will climb to $400 billion dollars before the housing bubble is completely corrected.

New Programs

Some of the recommendations made by President Obama’s reform team will require Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to charge banks the same amount for loan guarantees as paid by private financial institutions. Currently, federally backed mortgage loans can go up to $729,750. One of President Obama’s reforms would be to reduce this amount to $625,500. It is anticipated that this action will motivate the private banking sector to make more high-value mortgage loans.

The administration also seeks to have a minimum down payment of 10% regarding all government backed loans. One of the problems that caused the mortgage bubble is that Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae have been making loans with zero down payment. Query – if a homeowner has no money to put down for the purchase of a home, isn’t this an indication that if things do not go well, they will quickly walk away from making their mortgage payments? This is what caused the housing crisis. The giving of inappropriate mortgage loans to unqualified prospective homeowners!

The removal of government guarantees from the loan market is opposed by various special interest groups. Real estate agents, home builders, home supply companies, mortgage brokers and other individuals who make a living from the housing market oppose any changes to the current system. The Obama Administration seeks to make changes to the mortgage market over a five-year period.

Mortgage Modification and Foreclosure

If you have problems making your mortgage payments, reducing the amount of your monthly payments is a good idea. All financial institutions currently have mortgage modification programs. Unfortunately, some mortgage modification programs fail to provide belingered homeowners with realistic alternatives to their current mortgages. Our law office can help you deal with the complexities of the various mortgage modification programs.

Foreclosure is the process by which a bank takes back a home for the nonpayment of a mortgage. Should you be facing foreclosure, we can keep you in your home. Our foreclosure defense lawyers have developed an expertise in fighting these lawsuits. Once a lawsuit is initiated, we attend foreclosure court conferences on behalf of our clients. We defend defective foreclosure lawsuits. We deal with issues of predatory lending, defective mortgages and the failure of financial institutions to obtain the proper assignments and paperwork necessary to initiate litigation. We also update this foreclosure blog on a regular basis to keep our clients informed about the real estate industry in the United States. Call us for a free consultation at 1-800-344-6431, 516-561-6645 or 718-350-2802.

The Real Cost of Home Ownership

Individuals and families purchasing their first home usually ponder over how large a mortgage they can afford to pay. There are a variety of other costs that should be taken into consideration when purchasing a home. Homes require maintenance. Appliances break, roofs leak and there are numerous other types of maintenance problems homeowners must anticipate. These include landscaping, pest control, plumbing problems and the maintaining of the heating and air conditioning systems. These costs must be taken into consideration when purchasing a home.

Utilities

Homes must be heated and in the summer they may need air conditioning. The price of fuel oil and gas have been going up for the past few years. You should obtain the expense records from the previous owner for the utilities including heating, gas, oil and electric before purchasing a new home. These costs should be built into your monthly budget.

Homeowners Insurance

It is necessary to maintain casualty insurance on your home. This would repay either you or the bank should your home be damaged in a fire or through other circumstances. Sometimes this expense is built right into the mortgage payment. If you’re paying this expense directly, you should take this into account when budgeting for a new home.

Home Improvements

When a car gets old, you either fix it or you purchase a new car. When you own a home, besides from maintaining it, sometimes it becomes necessary to make improvements to maintain your quality of life. Home improvements involve planning, time and money.

Emergency Fund

One never knows when an emergency will take place. In these situations, it’s important to have a nest egg to bide you over during an emergency.

New York Foreclosure Defense

If your home is in foreclosure, you need a foreclosure defense lawyer. Call us. This is what we do! We litigate numerous foreclosure defense issues including, but not limited to, defective foreclosure lawsuits, predatory lending, bad faith, defective mortgages, and other real estate related issues. We attend court conferences on behalf of our clients and we keep them up to date concerning the status of the foreclosure. We handle mortgage modifications for our clients and we deal with mortgage modification programs that fail to meet our clients needs. When appropriate, we also file Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcies on behalf of our clients. If you have a mortgage related problem call us at 516-561-6645, 1-800-344-6431 or 718-350-2802.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are the two federally-backed agencies that are responsible for the large majority of mortgages in the United States. Congress and the White House are now at odds as to how to deal with these financially ravished, federally-backed agencies.

Steps need to be taken to reform the mortgage business. There has to be greater consumer protection for prospective homeowners. Changes must be made regarding how the mortgage servicing industry deals with prospective homeowners. Mortgage companies must work with borrowers who unfortunately fall behind on their mortgage payments. Action must also be taken to deal with the bundling of loans for sale to investors. These loan bundling schemes were a significant part of the current mortgage crisis.

Democrats and Republicans Both Agree and Disagree

Democrats and Republicans both agree that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac should not continue to exist. The problem is Democrats and Republicans can’t agree on what should replace them. Both the Democrats and Republicans want the private market place to assume the responsibility currently maintained by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. The actual setup of the new organizations is the subject of spirited debate between the two parties in Congress, as well as within the Obama Administration.

Fannie Mae And Freddie MacForeclosure Defense Lawyers in New York

If you have problems with a mortgage modification, we can help you. If you have difficulties dealing with mortgage modification programs that fail to approve your application, we are the lawyers for you. Should you be the subject of a foreclosure lawsuit, we are the lawyers for you. We litigate foreclosure proceedings. We provide foreclosure defense for our clients. We maintain a foreclosure blog to educate our clients and homeowners throughout the Metropolitan New York area with regard to their rights in foreclosure proceedings.

We litigate defective mortgages, predatory lending issues, defective foreclosure lawsuits, bad faith and other related real estate issues. We also assist our clients in filing Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcies.

We meet with our clients, we review all of the financial documents related to their mortgage and loan modification and we set up a plan to help keep them in their homes. Feel free to call us at 1-800-344-6431, 516-561-6645 or 718-350-2802. We can help you!!

Foreclosures Represent 12.5% of all Real Estate Sales on Long Island

Real Estate Sales On Long IslandIn 2009, there were 2,836 foreclosure sales of homes on Long Island. This represented 10.7% of all sales of single-family homes on Long Island. In 2010, there were 2,571 homes sold related to foreclosure proceedings on Long Island. Even though the number of homes sold in foreclosure was less in 2010 than the prior year, the percentage of real estate transactions on Long Island related to foreclosure sales grew in 2010.

Foreclosure Home Sales Dominate the Real Estate Market in the U.S.

In 2010, 25% of all home sales throughout the United States were the result of foreclosure proceedings. It is anticipated that the percentage of home sales related to foreclosure proceedings will increase in the year 2011. It is expected that foreclosure sales will increase in 2011 because lenders are getting their act together with regard to providing their attorneys with the appropriate paper work to facilitate foreclosure proceedings through the courts.

John Fitzgerald, a real estate broker in Hauppauge, New York, whose business focuses on foreclosure transactions, stated that he has been told by lenders in New York to “get ready because there are properties coming” with regard to increased foreclosure activity on Long Island.

Foreclosure Defense on Long Island and the Five Boroughs of NYC

Should you find your house in foreclosure, we can help you. We’ll assist you in obtaining a mortgage modification. If you don’t qualify for a mortgage modification and you are sued in a foreclosure proceeding, we can represent you in court.

We will see to it that your rights are protected. We are experienced in dealing with mortgage modification programs that fail to provide the homeowner with the promised relief. We maintain a foreclosure blog to educate our clients and the general public with regard to the foreclosure crisis in the United States.

When foreclosure ensues, we attend foreclosure court conferences on behalf of our clients. We litigate defective foreclosure lawsuits, predatory lending issues, bad faith on behalf of financial institutions and defective mortgages.

Our law office has been handling real estate litigation for more than three decades. Should a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy be appropriate to deal with your financial situation, we will discuss this issue with you and assist you in filing bankruptcy, if necessary. The filing of bankruptcy will stop foreclosure proceedings from moving forward and in some situations eliminate the security interest created by second mortgages. We can also assist you in reestablishing your credit after you have been discharged in bankruptcy.

Feel free to call us at your earliest convenience at 516-561-6645, 718-350-2802 or 1-800-344-6431. Our phones are monitored 24/7.

Foreclosure Defense in Valley Stream, Lynbrook, Baldwin, Malverne, Freeport, Oceanside, Long Beach, Elmont, Lakeview, West Hempstead, Hempstead, Merrick and Bellmore, New York

We represent individuals throughout the New York Metropolitan area with divorce and child custody, personal injury, car accident, wrongful death, estate administration, nursing home and medicaid issues

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.

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