Category: Mortgage Loan Modification

Lenders Prefer Short Sales to Foreclosures

Short sales are exceeding the number of foreclosure sales in South Florida. Broward County had 1,831 short sales in the first three months of 2012, compared with 1,476 foreclosure deals. On a quarterly basis, this is the first time short sales have outnumbered foreclosures in Broward since early 2008. Short sales also exceeded foreclosures in

Voluntary Dismissals and Foreclosure Paperwork Irregularities Examined

The Florida Supreme Court got a request. It has to do with the prevention of lenders from escaping sanctions for using fraudulent documents by filing voluntary dismissals. The issue is whether courts have the authority to reject the voluntary dismissals of the cases. And, instead impose sanctions, including dismissing the foreclosures with prejudice. Attorneys asking

Forced Placed Homeowners Insurance Policies

If you think your homeowners insurance is too expensive, then you would be interested to hear Mark Kunzelmann's story. Mr. Kunzelmann is a 49-year-old network specialist. Just over a year ago, he let the policy on his four-bedroom, North Palm Beach home expire. But you would not believe what the oversight, which was later remedied,

National Mortgage Settlement

National Mortgage Settlement seems to take some time. As part of the national mortgage settlement signed in March of 2012, Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, Wells Fargo, and Ally Financial have agreed to offer at least $10 billion in loan forgiveness or principal reduction. In fact, they are offering it to an estimated 11.1 million

Lien Stripping on TBE Property in Chapter 13

When deciding whether to file a Chapter 13 Bankruptcy together with your spouse, there is a new interesting factor to consider. In a recent case, the next thing happened. Judge Cristol denied a Chapter 13 Debtor the ability to strip a lien off of his home. Lien stripping is a great benefit of Chapter 13.

Stripping an Unsecured 2nd Mortgage in Chapter 7 Bankruptcy. Can it be?

Previously, lien stripping was something that could only be done in Chapter 13. However, a recent opinion from the 11th Circuit has changed that rule. Here, a Chapter 7 debtor in Georgia sought to strip off a second mortgage that was totally unsecured. The 11th Circuit reversed the Bankruptcy Court. And, they found that the

Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac Considering Principal Reduction Policy

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac could save $1.7 billion if they forgave principal on some troubled mortgages. Furthermore, The Federal Housing Finance Agency may make a decision in the next few weeks; whether to change its policy barring the two taxpayer-owned companies from performing such loan modifications. In fact, The FHFA has come under pressure

More Lenders Offering Plans with Debt Forgiveness

Non-government holders of delinquent mortgages are offering more payment plans with debt forgiveness. This is even as government-controlled Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac resist. Of the 116,153 mortgages modified in the fourth quarter of 2011, debt forgiveness takes 16 percent of loans. All of them held by private investors; 25 percent of loans held in

Bank of America in Side Deal with Government on Mortgage Foreclosures

Bank of America, one of the five banks in the $25 billion settlement with the government over foreclosure practices, has struck a side deal. It will allow it to reduce penalties in return for bigger cuts to borrowers’ mortgage balances. Bank of America will make deeper and broader cuts than other banks; it will allow

Florida Foreclosure Speed-Up Bill Dies as Session Ends

A controversial bill to speed up foreclosure did not pass as the lawmaker session ended. The proposal would have accelerated foreclosure proceedings on abandoned properties. And, it should make it easier for lenders to complete proceedings when both parties agreed to end the process. For consumers, the foreclosure bill would have reduced the length of