A way to Tell that It Is a Mortgage Modification Scam Before It Costs You Your Home
By martine • Jul 8th, 2009 • Category: MortgageThe fusion of a complex service, anxiety of those people who need the service and a new, wide open market with invisible regulations leave an opening for well dressed criminals to milk a situation that may supply a fast score. The largest problem facing the victims of loan modification scams usually isn’t the money; but the sheer amount of wasted time and unmade payments that will end up in a foreclosure.
According to numbers, the occurence of loan alteration cons remains quite small. Yet, as home loan modifications firm up their standing as the most suitable option for drowning home owners attempting to stop foreclosure, avoiding the “bad actors” hasn’t ever been more difficult. One reaction to the issue has been troubled borrowers selecting to take on the loan modification process by themselves, which is proving to be a mistake. Cheered on by officeholders and some members of the media, the DIY’ers have found themselves facing a brick wall of indecipherable loan documents, untrained customer service reps at the banks, and a labyrinthine process that requires a massive effort in time and energy. The slow start of the Goverment’s (HASP) is being blamed both on the servicers for not being prepared for the deluge of calls and bureaucracy and on delinquent borrowers attempting to obtain loan modifications on mortgages they never should have had in the 1st place.
The majority of scams have originated at loan modification shops which are ordinarily filled with mortgage consultants that previously were peddling the very same poisonous mortgages in charge of beginning the mortgage meltdown. These are companies that typically have no licensing, legal wherewithal, or capability to change a loan. There are oftenmany revealing signs that the shop could be running a scamĀ·
No office – Without a genuine stream of revenue, many conmen aren’t interested in signing office leases, providing a space, or investing the capital required to run a serious business office.
-There could be an office but it’s not very impressive. Almost all the available space is dedicated to telephone salespeople and the atmosphere screams “boiler room”. The reason behind no or minimal office space is that most scammers understand that what they’re doing is going to have a short shelf life which will mean moving on at some point in the near future. Requests to visit a con artist’s office are typically deal killers themselves, as the scammers will not want to meet directly with you. If a trip to an office is deterred, take it as a giant caution sign.
-No verifiable references – A legitimate firm which has been in business long enough to understand the ropes will have many hundreds of successful modifications. Almost all of the crooks running scams will not have any verifiable proof of successful modifications to show you. After all, they’re not there to modify loans.
-Sales Materials resembling they are state issued – Mortgages are part of the public record and can be accessed by anybody that desires to do so. There are no government agencies soliciting for loan modification business.
-Connections with lenders – If a loan mod company tells you that they are working, associated, or in partnership with your bank the red lights and buzzers should start firing off in your head. If you are still interested, verify the loan modification representative’s statements with your bank.
-The hard “now or never” sell – If you are getting pressured to start the process because the loan mod company has been informed by the bank that foreclosure is close, get out. That kind of communication between the parties doesn’t happen..
-Guarantees or guarantees of principle reductions – it is not possible to know beforehand whether a principle reduction will occur before opening the negotiation. There are far too many variables, such as who has the note, to make a promise like that. Just this year, First Quarter statistical data proved that less than 2% of all loan modifications included a reduction in mortgage payoff balance so, the bottom line is, you have a one in 50 chance.
The third choice is to change your home loan using an attorney guided process, which is proving to be the best way to a successful outcome in a loan modification. Try the following steps:
-Get the attorney’s state bar number and look at it out on the correct state bar website.
-See how long the firm has been doing home loan modifications.
-Request a list of references. A seasoned firm should well have masses of successful modifications to highlight.
-Stop by the office, or ask someone you trust visitin your place.
-Should you be wrestling with revolving debt and/or consumer borrowing, ask if the firm pairs home loan modifications with debt reduction. The results from stacking both processes can be extraordinarily profitable and powerful.
Doing some background checking goes a great distance toward making certain that you’re comfortable with the firm that’s going to represent you and ensure that you’re going to get what you paid for. The team at The Feldman Law Center, with over 600 successful loan modifications, has the knowledge and experience to come through with outstanding results designed to address your private needs. Call them at 877-MODZ-NOW (877-663-9669) to see what they can do to help you and your family.
Popularity: unranked [?]
martine is
Email this author | All posts by martine