Has the Mortgage Crisis Hit You Yet?
September 7th, 2009
MSNBC reported on August 4, 2009 that home loan modifications were progressing at a snails pace. And as of July only about 9 percent of eligible borrowers have seen their mortgage payments reduced. Indeed, Bank of America who received far more in taxpayor funded bailout money than other banks is among the slowest to modify a mortgage.
In August 2009 more than 200,000 Americans lost their jobs! What will become of them and the millions more like them? Is it possible for them to lose their homes. We see hints that the economy maybe improving but it doesn’t necessary mean that the jobs will come back immediately. In fact I recently saw a headline that said the job market will not improve until 2014. After all if you don’t have a job you usually cannot pay the mortgage.
So what should you do if you get behind on your mortgage? First, try not to panic. The lender will probably not start foreclosure proceedings until you are at least 3 months in arrears, sometimes even more. You probably should call the lender and see what can be done. Perhaps your lender has a loan modification program already in place. Yes, it is gathering paperwork. Yes, it is talking to individuals over the telephone. But you can do it! But you say you don’t want to. Then I suggest you contact a reputable attorney to help you. Yes, it will probably cost you money. But it may be money well spent. Yes, you will still need to provide paperwork to the attorney who in turn will forward it to the lender. But it will be the attorney and his staff who are dealing with the lender.
Just don’t delay too long! Remember, in these tough times food, clothing and shelter come first. Not credit card payments. Those days should be over for you. The balance on your cards can be modified. Go to consumer credit Counseling Service or to a lawyer who can assist you. I would suggest that you stay away from large corporations when it comes to spending money. Shop local. Try the local green market. Try a Thrift Shop for your clothes. Do you have a skill you can barter? Post adds in the local coffeshop, internet cafe, laundry mat etc.
Mr. Foster holds a B.A. in Political Science, a B.A. in Legal Studies and a J.D. in Law. Mr. Foster is a member of The Florida Bar and practices in the areas of criminal defense with a special emphasis on defending D.U.I.s, Family Law, loan modifications,credit card balance issues, contracts and consumer issues. He is also a Reiki Master.He maintains office space at 818 US HWY 1, Suite 2, North Palm Beach,Fl. Feel free to visit his blog at http://floridaduidefense.blogspot.com and his websites www.duilawyerofpalmbeach.com and www.expungemyfloridaarrest.com.
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