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Elliot S. Schlissel is a foreclosure defense attorney. He and his associates have been representing homeowners for more than 45 years. Elliot represents homeowners throughout all phases of foreclosure litigation, at foreclosure settlement court conferences and helps his clients obtain mortgage modifications. He can be reached at 516-561-6645, 718-350-2802 or by email to schlissel.law@att.net. Contact the office for a free consultation.
A financial institution can bring a foreclosure lawsuit on a second mortgage. Home improvement loans and lines of credit against a home are examples of two different types of second mortgages. Second mortgages are subordinate to first mortgages. Even if you make payments on your first mortgage and are up to date, the financial institution holding the second mortgage can still foreclose on your home and take it back from you.
Second Mortgages and Short Sales
Even if you move forward with a short sale with regard to your home on your first mortgage, you still will owe your second mortgage lender. This means, unless you negotiate a deal with both your first mortgage holder and your second mortgage holder to do a short sale, you will be responsible for paying off your second mortgage. Issues involving second mortgages are somewhat different than issues involving first mortgages. If the first mortgage on your home is secured by all the equity in your home, or your home is under water with regard to the first mortgage (worth less than the amount of your first mortgage) the second mortgage is liening on air. Why is it liening on air? Because all of the equity in your home is being liened on by the first mortgage so there is no equity left for the second mortgage holder to lien on. This creates a situation where your second mortgage is more of a personal obligation such as a personal loan or credit card debt.
A Hundred Years of Combined Experience
Our attorneys have more than 100 years of combined legal experience. If you default on your second mortgage, we can provide you with a list of options to deal with this problem. Our law firm offers personal services to our clients and free consultations to individuals facing foreclosure problems. Call us for a free consultation. At your initial meeting we will layout a strategy, and game plan as to how to protect your home.
Spring 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.
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.
Economists 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.
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.
The 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.
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.
Steven J. Baum, P.C. of Amherst, New York, has been fined two million dollars for inappropriate foreclosure legal practices. Steven J. Baum, P.C. is the largest foreclosure law firm in the state of New York. Steven J. Baum, P.C. has agreed, in addition to paying the two million dollar fine, to re-vamp its practices with regard to the handling of pleadings, affidavits and mortgage assignments in New York State and Federal Courts.
The Law Firm has agreed to implement a variety of internal controls regarding its processing and handling of foreclosure proceedings. They have agreed to review original promissory notes received from their clients or custodians of the notes prior to filing new foreclosure lawsuits. These actions will bring the firm in compliance with the order issued by Chief Judge Jonathan Lipman regarding attorneys representing lending institutions.
Mortgage Foreclosure Proceedings
US Attorney Preet Bharara, from the Southern District of New York, stated, with regard to the settlement, “in mortgage foreclosure proceedings, there are no excuses for sloppy practices that could lead to someone mistakenly losing their home.” She stated further that “homeowners facing foreclosure cannot afford to have faulty paperwork or inadequate evidence submitted and today’s agreement will help minimize that risk.”
Baum Law Firm Released from Civil Liability
The Baum Law Firm, upon payment of the two million dollar fine and the imposition of new internal procedures, will be released from potential civil liability under the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989. The Baum Law Firm acknowledges that it occasionally made inadvertent errors in its legal filings in state and federal courts, which it attributes to human error in light of the high volume of mortgages and foreclosures it handled throughout the State of New York in the wake of the national subprime mortgage crisis.”
It should be noted that this is a settlement. It is not a finding of wrongdoing by the Baum Foreclosure Law Firm. The Baum Law Firm has also agreed to have experienced attorneys supervising all aspects of the preparation of documents and reviewing of documents before they are filed with the courts. In addition, they are implementing a one to two-year training program for their attorneys to bring them in compliance with the rules regarding foreclosure proceedings in the state of New York.
Hopefully, this law firm will live up to its responsibilities in dealing with foreclosure proceedings. Taking a family’s home and putting them on the street is a sad end to the American dream. These proceedings should be handled in a manner that protects the homeowner’s rights and sees to it that homes aren’t wrongly foreclosed upon.
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.
Jamaica, New York, has had a rash of foreclosed homes. Homes that are being foreclosed upon and have become vacant are now being filled with drug dealers, gang members and other criminals. These homes are “becoming a magnet for criminal activity.” This is according to Deputy Inspector Miltiadis Marmara, the Commanding Officer of the precinct in South Jamaica. Community members in Jamaica are concerned about criminals and vagrants moving into these empty homes. They have huge parties. They stand outside the homes smoking weed and using other drugs. When the police are called, they run away. After the police leave, they return.
Neighborhoods Affected By Foreclosure Crisis
Who Is Stopping Foreclosures in New York
Call us for a free consultation at 1-800–344-6431, 516-561-6645 or 718-350-2802.
The depressed real estate market in the United States reached a new low in July, 2011. Home sales fell 3.5% during that month. This brought home sales to the lowest point in the last 13 years. Home prices keep falling. This makes it harder and harder for individuals to sell their homes. The reduction in home values has been a driving force in the economic problems in the United States. Consumers who feel the value of their home is going down are disinclined to spend money on everyday purchases. There is a negative effect on the economy in the United States when consumers believe their homes are losing value.
Difficulties In Purchasing New Homes
Appraisals Killing Home Sales
Home Prices Falling by More Than 5% in 2011
Call us for a free consultation, we will discuss whether filing bankruptcy may be in your interest and all other foreclosure related options. Our phones are monitored 24/7. Call us at 1-800-344-6431, 516-561-6645 or 718-350-2802.
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 in re- establishing your credit. Feel free to set up a free consultation with us. We will discuss your foreclosure options with you.
Steven J. Baum, P.C. of Amhearst, New York, has been fined two million dollars for inappropriate foreclosure legal practices. Steven J. Baum, P.C. is the largest foreclosure law firm in the state of New York. Steven J. Baum, P.C. has agreed, in addition to paying the two million dollar fine, to re-vamp its practices with regard to the handling of pleadings, affidavits and mortgage assignments in New York State and Federal Courts.The Law Firm has agreed to implement a variety of internal controls regarding its processing and handling of foreclosure proceedings. They have agreed to review original promissory notes received from their clients or custodians of the notes, prior to filing new foreclosure lawsuits. These actions will bring the firm in compliance with the order issued by Chief Judge Jonathan Lipman, regarding attorneys representing lending institutions.
Mortgage Foreclosure Proceedings
Baum Law Firm Released from Civil Liability
Hopefully, this law firm will live up to its responsibilities in dealing with foreclosure proceedings. Taking from a family, its home and putting them on the street is a sad end to the American dream. These proceedings should be handled in a manner that protects the homeowner’s rights and sees to it that homes aren’t wrongly foreclosed upon.
We can fight your foreclosure. We litigate predatory lending issues, defective foreclosure lawsuits, and defective mortgages. We attend foreclosure court conferences for our clients. We draft mortgage modifications and deal with mortgage modification programs that fail to meet our clients needs.
We also litigate foreclosure related bankruptcies, whether they’re a Chapter 7 bankruptcy or Chapter 13 bankruptcy. We also assist our clients in re-establishing credit after filing a bankruptcy. We can help stop your foreclosure from moving forward! Call us and we will provide you with a free consultation. We will discuss all of your foreclosure options.
Our Law Office deals with families whose homes are being foreclosed upon each and every week. We are continually asked by our clients why financial institutions simply don’t reduce the amount of the loan to coincide with the equity in their home, instead of foreclosing on their homes and selling it at auction for less than half of its real value. Unfortunately, it is extremely rare for a bank or other financial institution to reduce the principal in the mortgage to bring it back into conformity with the actual value of the house. Banks do not usually change their practices. Dropping principal balances to the amount of the actual indebtedness on the mortgage would be a departure from usual bank procedures. Banks simply do not wish to explain why the value of their mortgage portfolio on their financial statements are incorrect.
Banks Are In the Business of Making Money
Lenders don’t wish to write down the balance of defaulting loans because they do not see any upside for them in engaging in this practice. Banks are interested in making as much money as possible. Writing down loans does not accomplish this.
Writing Down Loans Will Not Avoid Default By Homeowners
Lenders do not believe that writing down mortgage loans will reduce the likelihood homeowners will default. Banks studies have shown individuals whose homes are underwater (there is a negative equity in the homes) will most likely be unable to pay their mortgages, even if the mortgage is renegotiated to the value of their home.
Mortgage Departments at Banks Are Understaffed and Undertrained
Most financial institutions want to deal with mortgages that are current and on which they are making money on. They look at servicing mortgages that are in default as a financial burden. This causes banks to be chincy on the amount of workers they hire to handle these loans and to skimp on the training of these employees. Mortgages servicing companies tend to be short-staffed and don’t have a lot of motivation to hire more employees on money losing loans.
Mortgage Problems and Solutions
Hopefully you are up to date on your mortgage, but should you be having financial problems and/or your mortgage falls behind, we may be able to help you obtain a mortgage modification. Should a mortgage modification not be available for you, we can represent you in a foreclosure proceeding and keep you in your home! Our foreclosure defense lawyers attend foreclosure court conferences for our clients. We meet with our clients and discuss foreclosure options, such as foreclosure related bankruptcy filings. We litigate, in New York State Courts, foreclosure defenses such as defective mortgages, violations of truth in lending laws, predatory lending and defective foreclosure lawsuits. We also can assist you in other real estate related problems.
Should bankruptcy filing be the appropriate way to deal with your foreclosure problem, we can file either a Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy for you. Upon meeting with us, we’ll discuss the types of bankruptcies that are available to you and why filing bankruptcy may help you. Filing a bankruptcy stops foreclosures from moving forward and can stop all debt collection activity. Call us for a free consultation. We appreciate your visiting our foreclosure blog.
