Foreclosures in San Jose and Sunnyvale: Three Reasons Time is Not on Your Side

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By Sean Coffey, MPA, Program Manager of ForeclosureHelpSCC

In a famous Rolling Stones song, Mick Jagger told us that “Time is on My Side.” However, this is NOT the case if you are having trouble paying your mortgage here in San Jose or Sunnyvale, California. While you have probably heard stories of people not paying their mortgages for a long time and remaining in their home, these stories are the exception, not the rule.

In today’s post, we are going to review three “time issues” that homeowners should consider if they are having trouble paying their mortgage:

1. Foreclosure timeline in California: Once you miss your first mortgage payment, it will be reported on your credit. However, it isn’t until after you miss your second mortgage payment that your bank or servicer can file a Notice of Default. This is the first step in the foreclosure process. While it is serious, you still have at least 90 days after the Notice of Default is filed before you could receive a Notice of Trustee Sale. During that 90 days, you can bring the mortgage current or work with your bank on an arrangement like a modification or repayment plan.

After the 90 days has passed, then your bank or servicer can send you a Notice of Trustee Sale. A Notice of Trustee Sale tells you that the home is going to be sold in three weeks. These are the minimum time frames allowed by law. Your bank or servicer may move slower than these time-frames, but they can’t move any faster.

An important note: the Notice of Default and Notice of Trustee Sale are both public record, so you may be contacted by people who want to “help.” I’m biased, but based on our experience cleaning up after these “experts,” I would be very wary about accepting help from people that call you. In fact, in California, it is illegal to charge an up-front fee for a loan modification.  Instead, if you’re here in San Jose or Sunnyvale, call ForeclosureHelpSCC (408-293-6000), where we can set up an appointment for you to meet with a trained housing counselor from one of our four HUD-approved counseling agencies. We are funded by federal and local grants, so we do not charge the homeowner for our services.

2. The Mortgage Debt Forgiveness Act is currently set to expire at the end of 2012.
Earlier this month the Los Angeles Times reported on a topic that has many people in the housing world concerned: “Mortgage debt relief may bring new pain: a tax bill.”  The Times explained that a law passed in 2007- The Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act is set to expire at the end of the year. Prior to enactment of this law, if you had a foreclosure or a short sale, the difference between what you owed and what the house ultimately sold for (at auction or via a short sale) was considered taxable income. The same issue would apply for principal reductions. For example, if you had a mortgage balance of $450,000, but short-sold your house for $400,000, then the $50,000 difference would have been considered income by the IRS. However, under the Mortgage Debt Forgiveness Act, that income has been exempted.

As the Times notes, many of the new settlements, like the Attorneys General settlement, include principal reduction, and much of the relief isn’t slated to begin until 2013. Kevin Stein from the California Reinvestment Coalition pointed out that the relief offered under these settlements won’t be nearly as meaningful if homeowners are being taxed on it.

While there is legislation pending to extend the debt forgiveness, nobody knows for sure what will happen. If an extension is not put in place, homeowners who already face difficult financial situations could find themselves facing a large tax bill.

3. Independent Foreclosure Review Program This is the third “time issue” for San Jose and Sunnyvale homeowners to consider. In our earlier blog post, we explained the details of the Independent Foreclosure Review for homeowners who dealt with issues related to robo-signing from 2009-2010. The deadline to apply for this program is December 31, 2012.

Are you having trouble paying your mortgage and do you live here in San Jose or Sunnyvale California? If so, contact ForeclosureHelpSCC by telephone: (408) 293-6000, email: help@foreclosurehelpscc.org, or visit our website: www.foreclosurehelpscc.org.
ForeclosureHelpSCC is a program that is supported by the Cities of San Jose and Sunnyvale, and staffed by housing counselors from four local, HUD-approved counseling agencies. Our housing counselors can speak to you about what your options are if you’re having trouble paying your mortgage, including programs like Making Home Affordable, Keep Your Home California, the Independent Foreclosure Review, and private, in-house modifications offered by banks and servicers as well. Your housing counselor can work with you to develop a plan of action to begin dealing with the problem instead of ignoring it.

Remember, the sooner you start working with a housing counselor, the more options you will have to address your mortgage situation and potentially remain in your home. Time is not on your side, so pick up the phone and give us a call.

Please note: All content included in the ForeclosureHelpSCC blog is provided for information only and should NOT be considered legal or tax advice. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us on our hotline: (408)-293-6000, or visit our website: www.foreclosurehelpscc.org

Rebuilding credit after a Foreclosure or Short Sale

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By Aurora Olivares, Housing Counselor at Project Sentinel, one of the members of ForeclosureHelpSCC

Building and maintaining credit is frequently on the minds of homeowners here in San Jose and Sunnyvale.  It’s no secret that your credit takes a hard hit during and after a foreclosure or short-sale.  Once you are more than 30 days late on your mortgage, it will be reported on your credit report, and your credit score will be impacted negatively. To learn more about how a foreclosure, a short sale without a deficiency, a short sale with a deficiency, and a bankruptcy impact three typical homeowners, read the FICO Banking Analytics blog posting: “Research looks at how mortgage delinquencies affect scores.”

As homeowners are unable to pay their mortgage or secure a workout with their lenders, they may fall further behind on their payments, and their credit report will worsen.                 A homeowner’s credit is impacted throughout this progression until the entire delinquency is resolved.

Let’s fast forward.  What happens after someone goes through the foreclosure process? 

The foreclosure proceedings are reported to the credit bureau by your lender and will be noted on your credit report for the next 7 to 10 years.  However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t re-build your credit after a foreclosure or short sale and become a homeowner again.

Here are 5 tips on how to rebuild your credit so you can prepare yourself if you decide to purchase a home in the future or need to apply for other types of credit after going through the foreclosure process.

  1. Pay your debts on time.  Paying your minimum monthly payment on time will reflect positively on your credit report.

  2. Keep low balances on your credit cards.  If you have a credit card with a revolving balance, try to keep the balance at about 30% or less of the overall credit limit for that account.  For example, if your credit limit is $10,000, you should try to keep your balance below $3,000.

  3. Pay more than your minimum monthly payment.  By simply paying $1 more per month than your required minimum payment, it will register positively on your credit score.  It could be $1 or $100 more than minimum amount you are being billed.  Use this method to maximize your ability to pay off debt faster and start to rebuild your credit.

  4. Keep your older credit accounts open.  The longevity of an account plays a role on how your credit score is calculated because potential lenders like to see that you have a history of using credit and paying your bills.  Therefore, if you close an older account, it’s going to negatively impact your credit score.  If you need to close credit accounts, consider eliminating newer accounts first.

  5. Avoid quick–fix schemes.  Claims to be able to fix your credit in less than 90 days may not be the most dependable outlets.  If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.  If you decide to seek professional assistance to help resolve your credit issues, make sure they are a reputable organization.  One quick way to research if an organization is providing legitimate credit counseling assistance is to see if they belong to the National Foundation for Credit Counseling, a nonprofit, membership organization which holds its member agencies to high standards.  Visit their website: www.nfcc.org to learn more or to find a credit counseling agency close to you.

In conclusion, rebuilding your credit report and score after a foreclosure or short sale will take time and dedication and there are no “quick fix” schemes to fix your credit.

If you haven’t already, you may want to obtain your free credit report. And a reminder from the Federal Trade Commission: AnnualCreditReport.com is the ONLY authorized source for the free annual credit report that’s yours by law. The Fair Credit Reporting Act guarantees you access to your credit report for free from each of the three nationwide credit reporting companies — Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion — every 12 months.

If you are a homeowner living in San Jose or Sunnyvale and are struggling with your mortgage, please contact ForeclosureHelpSCC, a program funded by the City of San Jose and the City of Sunnyvale at (408)-293-6000 or visit our website www.foreclosurehelpscc.org.  Our HUD-approved counselors can help you evaluate your options, learn more about federal and state programs that may help you with your mortgage issues, and will help you create a plan forward.

Please note: All content included in the ForeclosureHelpSCC blog is provided for information only and should NOT be considered legal or tax advice. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us on our hotline: (408)-293-6000, or visit our website: www.foreclosurehelpscc.org

Refinance vs. Modification: What are the differences?

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By Yvonne Castillo, Housing Counselor at SurePath Financial Solutions, one of the members of ForeclosureHelpSCC

With the housing crisis all around us in San Jose, Sunnyvale, and other cities in Santa Clara County, we hear some buzz words over and over, words such as foreclosure, modification, refinance and short sale. As a HUD-approved housing counseling agency, we often hear questions about the differences between modification and refinance, and which one is the best one to choose. The information below explains some of the main differences between these two options.

REFINANCE
What is a refinance?  A refinance is a new loan that you take out to pay off your old loan. A traditional refinance will require you to have equity on the property (up to 20%) to request a new loan.

Reasons why people refinance:  There are many reasons you may want to refinance your existing mortgage. For example, you may do it to lower your payments or interest rate. Or, to consolidate your 1st and 2nd mortgages, to extend or shorten the length of your mortgage, to change lenders, or to add or remove someone from your existing mortgage.

What happens when you refinance?  It is similar to the process of when you received your original mortgage. Because this is a new loan, you will receive a new loan number and your new loan may have different terms than your old loan.

Before you contact a lender to consider refinancing you should order your credit reports from Experian, Equifax and TransUnion (consider using Annual Credit Report to get an idea of the information included in your credit report). Generally speaking, the higher the credit rating you have, the better an interest rate you can qualify for, and the more money you will save. You will also need to show sufficient income to afford the new payments as well as your household expenses.

Unemployment and temporary disability benefits are considered temporary forms of income. Therefore, they are not acceptable forms of income when refinancing. You should also be current on your mortgage, car and credit card payments for approximately the past twelve months when considering refinancing as an option to remain in your home.

What costs are involved in a refinance? When refinancing there can be origination, processing and closing costs. Some lenders may waive some of these fees by including them into the loan balance. Check with your lender about any up-front or financed cost involved.

What if I do not have equity in my property? If your property is worth less than what you owe and your loan is owned by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, you may want to learn more about the Home Affordable Refinance Program, also known as HARP. This is one of the federal programs to assist homeowners to refinance their loans even if they don’t meet the equity criteria. You can learn more about the program on the Making Home Affordable website.

MODIFICATION
What is a loan modification? It is a temporary or permanent change of the terms of the current mortgage agreement that is usually requested to make the mortgage payments more affordable.

What is the main reason why people request a loan modification? The main reason to consider a loan modification is to have more affordable mortgage payments and remain in your home, especially if you do not qualify to refinance your mortgage. You have to be experiencing a financial hardship which has made it difficult to make your current mortgage payments or missed one or more of your mortgage payments. It’s important to note that banks and servicers do not consider it a financial hardship if your only reason to modify your loan is because you owe more on your mortgage balance than the home is currently worth (also known as being “upside down”).

What terms can be changed in a modification? When receiving a loan modification you will keep your current loan number but some of the terms on your mortgage will be modified. This could include lowering your interest rate, or modifying an adjustable rate mortgage (where the interest rate varies) to a fixed rate mortgage where your mortgage payments and rate will remain fixed for the life of the loan. In some modifications, the interest rate is lowered for a few years (for example, a modification under HAMP can go as low as two percent), and then gradually increases over the course of a few years.

Will my payments be lower with a loan modification? For many households the loan modification has allowed them to reduce their mortgage payments and bring their loan current. However, it is important to note that if your current loan is an interest only loan, then changing it to a fully amortizing loan (where you are paying interest and principal) could result in an increase of your mortgage payment. However, banks and servicers can address this issue by lowering the interest rate, or lengthening the life of the loan (for example from 30 to 40 years).

In some limited cases, a loan modification may reduce or defer the balance owed. The homeowner may have a wish list of how they want their bank or servicer to modify their loan, but ultimately it is up to the bank or servicer (and sometimes the investor(s) who own the mortgage) whether or not they will modify the loan, and if so, how the terms will be adjusted.

Are there costs involved with a loan modification? Generally, there is no origination, processing and closing costs included when doing a loan modification. However some lenders will charge a small loan modification fee that is added to the balance of your loan and disclosed in the loan modification documents.

What information will be reviewed in a loan modification? Your bank or servicer will require a complete financial disclosure to evaluate the possibility of granting a loan modification. Information regarding your household income and expenses, amount of debt, proof of income, reason of the financial hardship, debt to income ratio etc, will be required to evaluate your modification request. If you have stopped making your mortgage payments, your bank or servicer will review if the non-payment is a result of the financial hardship. The bank will also want to see that there is a sustainable action plan going forward that will allow you to have sufficient income to continue paying your modified mortgage.

If you are a homeowner living in San Jose or Sunnyvale and want to know if either of these options will be applicable to your case please contact ForeclosureHelpSCC, a program funded by the City of San Jose and the City of Sunnyvale at (408)-293-6000 or visit our website www.foreclosurehelpscc.org. HUD approved counselors are available to provide free counseling sessions that will help you review your finances and evaluate the options for you.

Please note: All content included in the ForeclosureHelpSCC blog is provided for information only and should NOT be considered legal or tax advice. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us on our hotline: (408)-293-6000, or visit our website: www.foreclosurehelpscc.org

Unemployment Mortgage Assistance Program, Part of Keep Your Home California: How Does It Work?

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By Aurora Olivares, Housing Counselor at Project Sentinel, one of the members of ForeclosureHelpSCC

Have you heard of the Keep Your Home California program? (KYHC) Are you unsure how the program works to help struggling homeowners avoid preventable foreclosures? A few homeowners I’ve worked with here in the Bay Area are good examples of how Keep Your Home California works.

Are you like Michelle?

I recently was contacted by a woman who was laid off two months ago. She received a flyer from her local EDD office about the Keep Your Home California program. Michelle had used up her savings and was concerned about her ability to pay her mortgage while unemployed. I met with her the following day to go over the Unemployment Mortgage Assistance (UMA) program. Michelle met all the requirements in order to apply for the Unemployment Mortgage Assistance program and her application was submitted the same day.

Michelle kept in contact with the Keep Your Home California team and provided all documents needed for the eligibility review. Michelle’s review went smoothly and she was approved for the UMA program. Michelle was approved to have KYHC make her payments for up to up to 9 months while she looked to secure new employment and had KYHC administer her first mortgage installment before her payment was due, helping her preserve her credit.

Here are some quick facts about the Keep Your Home California program:

Your lender/servicer must participate in the program in order to qualify for the Keep Your Home California funds. Each lender/servicer can participate in as little as one or in all four of the Keep Your Home California programs.

Is my bank or servicer participating in Keep Your Home California?
Check this list: Servicers Participating in Your Home California

There are 4 award programs:

  • UMA-Unemployment Mortgage Assistance Program: Is designed to assist unemployed homeowners who are receiving EDD benefits.
  • MRAP-Mortgage Reinstatement Assistance Program: This program can help by reinstating past due payments.
  • PRP-Principal Reduction Program: Homeowners who owe more than their property is worth, may be eligible for a principle reduction.
  • TAP-Transitional Assistance Program: Provides a payment of up to $5,000 to help homeowners, who cannot retain their home transition into new housing.

The Keep Your Home California program applies to primary mortgages in first position only. Second mortgages or home equity lines of credit are not eligible for Keep Your Home California programs. The property must be owner occupied and located in the state of California. The loan balance on the first mortgage is below $729,750. The homeowner(s) cannot be in bankruptcy while applying for Keep Your Home California Program.

Will you be the next success story?
To find out more about these four programs, or to set up an appointment with a housing counselor who can discuss these programs with you, contact ForeclosureHelpSCC by calling us at (408) 293-6000. You can also email us at help@foreclosurehelpscc.org or visit our website: www.foreclosurehelpscc.org.

Please note: All content included in the ForeclosureHelpSCC blog is provided for information only and should NOT be considered legal or tax advice. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us on our hotline: (408)-293-6000, or visit our website: www.foreclosurehelpscc.org

Keep Your Home California: How Does It Work?

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By Aurora Olivares, Housing Counselor at Project Sentinel, one of the members of ForeclosureHelpSCC

Have you heard of the Keep Your Home California program? Are you unsure how the program works to help struggling homeowners avoid preventable foreclosures? A few homeowners I’ve worked with here in the Bay Area are good examples of how Keep Your Home California works.

Meet Ron.

Earlier this year I received a call from Ron. He had medical issues that prevented him from working full time. He drew from his 401K to pay medical bills while he recuperated. During this time, Ron fell behind on his mortgage payments. Ron regained his health and was back to his old self with a steady income but was unable to catch up on the $10,000 in delinquent mortgage payments from when he was ill and fell behind on his mortgage. After struggling to reach an agreement with his mortgage company, he heard about the Keep Your Home California program and called to set up a counseling appointment.

I met with Ron and after learning more about his situation, I determined that he was an ideal candidate for the Mortgage Reinstatement Assistance Program (MRAP). Ron lived in the property with the past due payments, he was not in bankruptcy, had a loan balance under $729,750 and had an affordable payment after overcoming his medical hardship.

I worked with Ron to submit an application for the Mortgage Reinstatement Assistance Program through Keep Your Home California. After submitting the necessary paperwork, meeting investor guidelines, and working closely with the Keep Your Home California processing team, Ron was funded $10,000 to bring his mortgage current. Through this program, Ron was able to remain in his home.

In our next post, I’ll discuss a homeowner who successfully used the Unemployment Mortgage Assistance Program, which is also part of Keep Your Home California. In the meantime, I’m including program information below.

Here are some quick facts about the program:
Your lender/servicer must participate in the program in order to qualify for the Keep Your Home California funds. Each lender/servicer can participate in as little as one or in all four of the Keep Your Home California programs.

Is my bank or servicer participating in Keep Your Home California?
Check this list: Servicers Participating in Your Home California

There are 4 award programs:

  • UMA-Unemployment Mortgage Assistance Program: Is designed to assist unemployed homeowners who are receiving EDD benefits.
  • MRAP-Mortgage Reinstatement Assistance Program: This program can help by reinstating past due payments.
  • PRP-Principal Reduction Program: Homeowners who owe more than their property is worth, may be eligible for a principle reduction.
  • TAP-Transitional Assistance Program: Provides a payment of up to $5,000 to help homeowners, who cannot retain their home transition into new housing.

The Keep Your Home California program applies to primary mortgages in first position only. Second mortgages or home equity lines of credit are not eligible for Keep Your Home California programs. The property must be owner occupied and located in the state of California. The loan balance on the first mortgage is below $729,750. The homeowner(s) cannot be in bankruptcy while applying for Keep Your Home California Program.

Will you be the next success story?
To find out more about these four programs, or to set up an appointment with a housing counselor who can discuss these programs with you, contact ForeclosureHelpSCC by calling us at (408) 293-6000. You can also email us at help@foreclosurehelpscc.org or visit our website: www.foreclosurehelpscc.org.

Please note: All content included in the ForeclosureHelpSCC blog is provided for information only and should NOT be considered legal or tax advice. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us on our hotline: (408)-293-6000, or visit our website: www.foreclosurehelpscc.org

California PayDay Lender Settlement: Oct. 1, 2012 Deadline

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By Sean Coffey, Program Manager at ForeclosureHelpSCC

Have you heard about the payday lawsuit and settlement against Money Mart and Loan Mart?

The San Francisco City Attorney, Dennis Herrera, sued Money Mart and Loan Mart for “unfair and fraudulent business practices” in making payday loans in California.

As part of the settlement, Californians who received short-term installment loans between 2005 and 2007, and oversized loans in 2005, may be eligible for restitution for much of the interest, fees, and finance charges that they paid. There is $7.5 million in funds for the settlement, and eligible consumers may receive between $20 and $1,800 each.

Deadline Fast Approaching
The deadline to apply for restitution under this program is October 1, 2012, so there is not much time left for consumers to apply.

How do I apply?

There are three ways you can get more information or apply to receive restitution:

  1. You can fill out a claim form on the SF City Attorney’s website.
  2. You can call the City Attorney’s Money Mart Settlement Hotline: 866-497-5497
  3. You can email moneymartsettlement@sfgov.org

Reminder: Independent Foreclosure Review Deadline is December 31, 2012
And, as a reminder, if you are a homeowner who had any “foreclosure actions” on your primary residence between January 1, 2009 and December 2010, you may also want to learn more about the Independent Foreclosure Review program. This agreement with 14 banks and servicers also has a deadline that is fast approaching: December 31, 2012. For more information about this program, visit our earlier blog piece on it, or visit the website: independentforeclosureeview.com

Please note: All content included in the ForeclosureHelpSCC blog is provided for information only and should NOT be considered legal or tax advice. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us on our hotline: (408)-293-6000, or visit our website: www.foreclosurehelpscc.org

Nancy’s Nine Rules for an Effective Relationship With Your Housing Counselor

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By Nancy Rueda, Housing Counselor at Asian Inc., one of the members of ForeclosureHelpSCC

Trying to find assistance during a difficult time with your mortgage may be overwhelming, but there are trained housing counselors who can help you learn about your options so that you can make an informed decision. Today I’m sharing a few tips that will help you get the most out of your time with your housing counselor.

1) Take notes – At a housing counseling appointment you will learn a lot of new information about mortgage assistance programs, and what your options are if you are having trouble paying your mortgage. As part of your appointment, we will also give you a handout that explains the foreclosure timeline and process in California. It can be really helpful to take notes so that you have something to refer back to after your appointment.

2) Bring questions to the appointment: Before meeting with your housing counselor, write your questions and bring them to your appointment. That way you won’t forget any important questions or concerns you have about your mortgage.

3) Arrive on time: Housing counselors are assisting a number of homeowners at any given time. By being on time, you can ensure that you get the full time allotted for your appointment with your housing counselor.

4) Share all important information with your housing counselor. There are two really important reasons for you to make sure you’re sharing all relevant information with your housing counselor. First, similar to a doctor making a diagnosis, a housing counselor needs all information about your mortgage, financial, and income situation so that they can do a thorough analysis and make sure you’re informed about all options available to help you. If you only provide them with half the information, then you may miss out on learning about all of your mortgage options. Second, if your housing counselor is advocating on your behalf with your bank or servicer, they need to be operating with the same information that the bank or servicer has in order to be an effective advocate for you.

5) Awareness: While friends and family members may have received a loan modification, each mortgage situation is different. The banks and servicers (and in some cases, an investor who may or may not approve of a modification) all have different programs and policies. This could mean that the same bank provides two very different modifications for two houses on the same street. Or, because of investors, the bank may be allowed to modify one mortgage, but not the other.

6) Documents, documents, documents: If you are submitting a request for a loan modification, you will be asked to provide a lot of documents to your housing counselor. Housing counselors can’t submit incomplete packages to the bank or servicer. By providing all of the documents at one time, you can make your case go smoother and it will be easier for your housing counselor to submit a package to the bank. If a housing counselor has to wait on documents, it can slow them down in submitting a package to your bank or servicer. In addition, during the time your housing counselor is waiting for “late” documents, the documents you already submitted may become out of date, and you will have to submit new ones.

7) Follow up with your servicer – After your housing counselor informs you that your workout packet has been submitted to your servicer, follow up with your servicer. Do not wait for your housing counselor to remind you. It’s suggested that you follow up with them every week and make sure to write down what was discussed, the date, time, the name of the person you spoke with and their ID number on your note book. If you are giving information to the bank or servicer, it should match the information that your housing counselor submitted in the package. If circumstances change (i.e. you get an increase or decrease in pay), let your housing counselor know.

8) Keep your housing counselor updated – There will be times when your bank or servicer will contact you directly and may request additional information from you. Don’t forget to contact your housing counselor and inform them of what was discussed or what was requested from you. If you had to fax documents to your servicer, send them to your housing counselor as well, that way they are aware of what was provided to your servicer.

9) Be patient, polite and proactive – As overwhelming as this process is, housing counselors are here to assist you in learning about your options, which may include a short sale, modification, or in some cases, letting go of the home and planning a successful “exit strategy.” Regardless of which path you decide to take, it’s a “team approach” and your active participation is important. Being patient, polite, and proactive will also be helpful in communicating with your bank or servicer, since you may have to be the messenger between different departments at your bank or servicer.

Have you worked with a housing counselor before? Do you have any comments or tips you would like to share?

Please note: All content included in the ForeclosureHelpSCC blog is provided for information only and should NOT be considered legal or tax advice. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us on our hotline: (408)-293-6000, or visit our website: www.foreclosurehelpscc.org.

New Mortgage Servicing Rules Proposed- What Does it Mean for You? Part 2 of 2

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By Sean Coffey, Program Manager at ForeclosureHelpSCC

In an earlier post,  we explained that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced proposed rules around loan servicing and we examined the first part of this proposal. In today’s post, we’ll examine the second part of the proposed loan servicing rules. The rules are nicknamed the “no runaround” rules, and address loan servicing issues that homeowners sometimes encounter with their mortgage loan servicers.

Under the new rules, banks or servicers will have to:

  • Credit a consumer’s account on the same date that the servicer received the payment.
  • Maintain accurate and accessible documents to minimize errors, provide oversight of any contractors and of any foreclosure attorneys working on behalf of the servicer.
  • If a homeowner notifies a servicer that they believe a mistake has been made, then the servicer would need to provide acknowledgement of the homeowner’s complaint, conduct an investigation, and respond to the homeowner in a timely manner.
  • Provide direct and ongoing access to servicer employees who have the power to assist homeowners.
  • Promptly review applications for programs that help avoid foreclosure.
  • Wait until after a review of an application is complete before moving forward on a foreclosure sale.
  • Inform homeowners when their packages are incomplete.
  • Allow homeowners to appeal certain servicer decisions.

Some of these proposed rules are similar to laws that are already on the books, for example the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act also requires banks and services to respond to homeowner’s request in a timely manner.

We have heard from several homeowners that the servicing of their loan has been transferred and in the process of transferring, the loan payments made to the first servicer aren’t being credited with the new servicer.

If this has happened to you, you may want to consider sending a qualified written request, also known as a “RESPA Request.” RESPA stands for Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act. Under this act, a borrower can send a letter to their lender if there is a dispute about payments or other issues related to the loan, and their servicer is required to acknowledge the request within 20 business days and must try to resolve the issue within 60 business days.

If you do send a qualified written request, it’s important that you include this sentence at the beginning of your letter:

This is a “qualified written request” pursuant to the Real Estate Settlement and Procedures Act (section 2605(e)).

And include this sentence at the end of the letter:

I understand that under Section 6 of RESPA you are required to acknowledge my request within 20 business days and must try to resolve the issue within 60 business days.

You should send your letter through registered mail so that you have proof that your bank or servicer received it.  You can see an example of a qualified written request on the HUD website: Example Qualified Written Request.

If you would like to learn more about the proposed rules, visit the “Regulation Room”  and see how the proposed rules would affect real-life situations. You can also provides comments on any loan servicing issues you’ve had, or on the proposed legislation.
Have you encountered any loan servicing issues with your mortgage? Any suggestions you would give to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau as they consider implementing these rules?

Please note: All content included in the ForeclosureHelpSCC blog is provided for information only and should NOT be considered legal or tax advice. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us on our hotline: (408)-293-6000, or visit our website: www.foreclosurehelpscc.org.

New Mortgage Servicing Rules Proposed- What Does it Mean for You?

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By Sean Coffey, Program Manager of ForeclosureHelpSCC

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau announced on August 10th proposed rules with the goal of improving customer service for homeowners when they interact with their loan servicers.  Today we’ll look at the first half of the rules.

Mortgage loan servicers are the people that “service” your mortgage by collecting your monthly mortgage payment.  In many cases, the servicer doesn’t actually own the mortgage. Instead, the servicer’s job is to collect your payment, take a small cut for themselves, and then send the rest of your payment to the investors that own your mortgage.   (The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation has a diagram of this arrangement: Securitization Diagram.) However, some banks did keep mortgage loans after they made them, and continue to service the mortgages.

Homeowners have no authority over who services their loan, and the servicing of their loan could be transferred to multiple different companies over the course of the loan.  Homeowners can’t “shop around” if they have a servicer that provides poor customer service, and some experts have suggested that this arrangement may lead to servicers providing poor customer service without any consequences.

The new mortgage servicing rules, announced on August 10 by Richard Cordray, the Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, would address poor customer service that some homeowners have experienced from their servicers.

The new rules would require servicers to:

  • Mail clear monthly mortgage statements with clear information about the principal, interest, any fees being charged, escrow, and the amount and due date of the next payment.
  • Warn customers earlier if an interest rate on an adjustable rate mortgage is going to adjust.
  • Inform customers about the consequences of not having property insurance, and alternatives to “force-placed” insurance (this is insurance that a servicer buys for the consumer if they haven’t bought it themselves, in many cases, it costs more than regular property insurance).
  • Reach out to homeowners and inform them of options to avoid foreclosure.

In our next post, we’ll look at the second half of the CFPB’s proposal.

Do you have any rules that you think loan servicers should have to follow when collecting your mortgage payments?

Please note: All content included in the ForeclosureHelpSCC blog is provided for information only and should NOT be considered legal or tax advice.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us on our hotline: (408)-293-6000, or visit our website: www.foreclosurehelpscc.org

Maggie’s Five Rules for Working with Your Bank or Servicer

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By Maggie McCarthy, Housing Counselor at Project Sentinel, one of the members of ForeclosureHelpSCC.

1.Calling Your Bank or Servicer: When you call your bank or servicer, always be prepared with information the lender may ask from you. They will probably ask for your:

  • Loan Information; loan number, mortgage payment amount, property taxes, insurance.
  • The servicer or bank will also ask about your income, both gross- (before taxes), and net (after taxes).
  • The servicer or bank will also want to know about your other household expenses, including utilities, food, transportation, insurance, credit card payments, and any other debt payments that you have to make (for example, car loans, school loans).

2. Hardship: When discussing your hardship with your lender, be clear and to the point. They want to know the cause of your hardship, any actions you may have taken to help yourself (for example, cut out cable or reduced other bills), and what kind of help you are looking for from your lender. For example, if you were unemployed for three months but now have a new job (and can pay your mortgage), then you could ask them to add the past due amount to the balance of your mortgage.

3. Documents: If you are seeking a modification, remember that you are essentially asking them to write a whole new loan. While modifications can take time, there are some steps you can take to make the process go faster:

  • Provide all documentation requested;
  • Double-check that you have completed and signed all forms that they are requiring;
  • Make sure all of your supporting documents are up to date. You may have to update some documents like your pay-stubs every month.
  • If you write the loan number on every page of any documents that you are sending to the bank or servicer, it reduces the chance your documents will get lost.

4. Follow-Up: Once you submit all of the documents, follow up with your lender every week to 10 days on status of your request, that also shows that you are very interested in resolving the problem. Start a notebook, and make sure you write the name and ID number of the person you talk to each time, and what you discussed. While this can be a frustrating process, the bank person may be able to help you, so be nice to them, and you may even try and make friends with them. You never know how much power they have to help move your case forward.

5. Other Options: There are other options and programs available to resolve your housing problem, so ask your lender for other options available if you do not qualify for a loan modification. Always ask questions and never agree to anything that you don’t understand or sign any documents that you don’t understand. If you are being offered something, ask if they can put it in writing.

Do you have any tips you have found helpful based on working with your bank or servicer?

Remember: You don’t have to go through this process alone. If you have questions, give ForeclosureHelpSCC a phone call and we can set up an appointment to meet with you: 408-293-6000.

Please note: All content included in the ForeclosureHelpSCC blog is provided for information only and should NOT be considered legal or tax advice.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us on our hotline: (408)-293-6000, or visit our website: www.foreclosurehelpscc.org