Tag Archives: TransUnion

Event Focuses on Stabilizing Homeownership after Foreclosures in California

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First Time Homebuyers Losing to All Cash Investors

Street Corner in San Jose, California

Editor’s note: This is post #1 in a two-part series.  You can read part 2 here.

By Sean Coffey, Program Manager, Foreclosure Help

The California Housing Consortium recently sponsored the 1st Annual  Homeownership Forum.  The theme for the day was “Stabilizing Homeownership and Communities in the Post-Foreclosure World” and panelists and participants discussed current efforts to repair the housing market, while creating and retaining affordable housing.    To see the agenda and speaker slides, visit the CHC website.

Two themes emerged during the day:

1) While many potential homebuyers are ready (including first time homebuyers), engaged and excited to buy a home in the Bay Area, many of them are unsuccessful when they make offers right now because they are competing with all-cash offers from investors.

2) There is not one “single bullet” policy or program that will fix the housing market, but it will likely be a combination of programs, policies, and financing mechanisms, both from the public and private sector that will help the housing market to recover.

Repairing credit after an improper foreclosure?

One of the most interesting comments of the day came during a conversation with a fellow audience member when she asked me if there are any plans to assist homeowners with fixes to their credit reports if they were the victim of an improper foreclosure. I am not aware of this being included in the Independent Foreclosure Review, but it seems logical that if a homeowner’s credit was damaged because of an improper foreclosure, (and the bank admitted it was an improper foreclosure by paying compensation under the Independent Foreclosure Review), then the bank/servicer could also notify the three credit reporting agencies that the foreclosure proceedings were improper.

Upon receiving this information, the credit agencies could code the person’s credit report appropriately, and there should be a subsequent “bounce” in the person’s credit score, and a lower cost of credit for that homeowner.  Given the increased scrutiny that Experian, Equifax, and Transunion now face by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, this is an idea worthy of consideration, and could potentially restore some faith in the credit bureaus, who have faced criticism recently over errors in a substantial number of consumer’s credit reports.  (See our previous post on this topic: “New Report: 1 in 10 Consumers Have Incorrect Credit Score“)

FHA’s Role in “Healing” the Market

Carol Galante, recently confirmed as the Assistant Secretary for Housing/Federal Housing Commission, opened the day and cited the importance of FHA loans in helping to repair the market, with nearly four million FHA loans completed since the beginning of the crisis, with 80% of these loans made to first time homebuyers.

Galante is the FHA Commissioner, and she discussed efforts FHA is making or considering making to repair the market, including selling pools of loans where all of the loans are at least six months delinquent.  In this model, investors could purchase a pool of delinquent loans, and then work with homeowners to modify the mortgage to an affordable level.

She also cited FHA’s 203K loan, which allows homeowners to pay for repairs to a home using the mortgage that they are using to buy the home to also finance the repairs.  However, she noted that the current limit of seven homes could prevent non-profits from using the program, and suggested that lifting this limit could allow non-profits to use this loan more broadly.

Galante also touched on a few other hot topics, including whether pre-purchase counseling should be mandatory, and how to pay for it, and do it in such a way that it’s meaningful for potential homeowners.  Audience questions touched on a recent settlement where a bank disclosed that it had inappropriately given homeowners FHA loans (when they didn’t need them), as well as the difficulty that first-time homebuyers are having in competing against all-cash investors.

This is post #1 in a two-part series.  You can read part 2 here.

Related articles:

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 us: www.foreclosurehelpscc.org

Our housing 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 or send us an email: help@foreclosurehelpscc.org.

Si usted es dueño de una casa en San José o en Sunnyvale y están luchando con su hipoteca, por favor póngase en contacto con ForeclosureHelpSCC, un programa financiado por la ciudad de San José y la ciudad de Sunnyvale, al (408) -293- 6000, o visite nuestro sitio: www.foreclosurehelpscc.org.Nuestros consejeros puede ayudarle a evaluar sus opciones, aprender más acerca de los programas federales y estatales que pueden ayudarle con sus problemas de hipoteca, y le ayudará a crear un plan para seguir.

Por favor, tenga en cuenta: Todos los contenidos incluidos en el blog ForeclosureHelpSCC se proporciona únicamente a título informativo y no debe ser considerada como consejo legal o fiscal. Si usted tiene alguna pregunta, por favor no dude en contactarnos a nuestra línea directa: (408) -293-6000, o visite nuestro sitio:www.foreclosurehelpscc.org o envíenos un correo electrónico: help@foreclosurehelpscc.org.

Nếu bạn là một sinh hoạt chủ sở hữu nhà ở San Jose hoặc Sunnyvale và đang đấu tranh với nợ nhà, xin vui lòng liên ForeclosureHelpSCC, một chương trình được tài trợ bởi thành phố San Jose và thành phố của Sunnyvale ở (408) -293-6000 hoặc truy cập trang web của chúng tôi: www.foreclosurehelpscc.org.

Nhân viên tư vấn của chúng tôi đã được HUD chấp thuận có thể giúp bạn đánh giá các lựa chọn của bạn, tìm hiểu thêm về các chương trình của liên bang và tiểu bang có thể giúp bạn với các vấn đề thế chấp của bạn, và sẽ giúp bạn tạo ra một kế hoạch phía trước.Xin lưu ý: Tất cả các nội dung trên Blog ForeclosureHelpSCC được cung cấp thông tin duy nhất và không nên coi là hợp pháp hoặc tư vấn thuế. Nếu bạn có bất cứ câu hỏi , xin vui lòng liên hệ với chúng tôi qua đường dây nóng: (408) -293-6000, hoặc truy cập vào trang của chúng tôi: http://www.foreclosurehelpscc.org hoặc gửi email cho chúng tôi:help@foreclosurehelpscc.org.

New Report: 1 in 10 Consumers Have Incorrect Credit Score

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FTC Finds High Number of errors in credit reports

By Sean Coffey, Program Manager, Foreclosure Help

The Federal Trade Commission released a report today (focused on credit report errors at the three large credit reporting agencies (Experian, Equifax, and Transunion) and found significant mistakes, with one in ten consumers reporting a change in their credit score AFTER they contacted the agency to dispute inaccurate information.

Regular readers of our blog may recall that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau also released a report  (Analysis of Differences between Consumer- and Creditor-Purchased Credit Scores) with a similar focus in September 2012, which found that one in five consumers would see a different score than their lenders.   See our blog on the topic here: “1 in 5 consumers receive a different credit score than their lender”

In the most recent report by the Federal Trade Commission, (Report to Congress
Under Section 319 of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act of 2003) the researchers found:

  • 25% of consumers identified errors on their credit reports, potentially affecting their credit scores;
  • 20% of consumers had their errors corrected by at least one of the agencies after the consumer disputed it;
  • About 1 out of 20 consumers saw their credit score change more than 25 points, while 1 in 250 customers saw a credit score change of more than 100 points.

We’re glad to see that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is now overseeing credit reporting agencies.  The consumers who were interviewed last night on 60 Minutes (40 Million Mistakes: Is your credit report accurate?) had some pretty harrowing tales about trying to correct their credit reports, with some choosing to hire attorneys because the process was so slow/unsuccessful when they attempted to contact the credit reporting agencies.

You may find our previous blog postings helpful:

If you are struggling with foreclosure in San Jose or Sunnyvale, please give us a call. The sooner you pick up the phone, the sooner we can help, and the earlier you start in the process, the more options you will have to create a plan forward.

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 or send us an email: help@foreclosurehelpscc.org.

Si usted es dueño de una casa en San José o en Sunnyvale y están luchando con su hipoteca, por favor póngase en contacto con ForeclosureHelpSCC, un programa financiado por la ciudad de San José y la ciudad de Sunnyvale, al (408) -293- 6000, o visite nuestro sitio: www.foreclosurehelpscc.org.

Nuestros consejeros aprobados por HUD puede ayudarle a evaluar sus opciones, aprender más acerca de los programas federales y estatales que pueden ayudarle con sus problemas de hipoteca, y le ayudará a crear un plan para seguir.

Por favor, tenga en cuenta: Todos los contenidos incluidos en el blog ForeclosureHelpSCC se proporciona únicamente a título informativo y no debe ser considerada como consejo legal o fiscal. Si usted tiene alguna pregunta, por favor no dude en contactarnos a nuestra línea directa: (408) -293-6000, o visite nuestro sitio:www.foreclosurehelpscc.org o envíenos un correo electrónico: help@foreclosurehelpscc.org.

Nếu bạn là một sinh hoạt chủ sở hữu nhà ở San Jose hoặc Sunnyvale và đang đấu tranh với nợ nhà, xin vui lòng liên ForeclosureHelpSCC, một chương trình được tài trợ bởi thành phố San Jose và thành phố của Sunnyvale ở (408) -293-6000 hoặc truy cập trang web của chúng tôi: www.foreclosurehelpscc.org.

Nhân viên tư vấn của chúng tôi đã được HUD chấp thuận có thể giúp bạn đánh giá các lựa chọn của bạn, tìm hiểu thêm về các chương trình của liên bang và tiểu bang có thể giúp bạn với các vấn đề thế chấp của bạn, và sẽ giúp bạn tạo ra một kế hoạch phía trước.

Xin lưu ý: Tất cả các nội dung trên Blog ForeclosureHelpSCC được cung cấp thông tin duy nhất và không nên coi là hợp pháp hoặc tư vấn thuế. Nếu bạn có bất cứ câu hỏi , xin vui lòng liên hệ với chúng tôi qua đường dây nóng: (408) -293-6000, hoặc truy cập vào trang của chúng tôi: http://www.foreclosurehelpscc.org hoặc gửi email cho chúng tôi:help@foreclosurehelpscc.org.

How Can the Consumer Financial Projection Bureau Assist You With Credit Reporting Issues? Our Blog Explains How.

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Consumer Financial Protection BureauBy JoAnn Parrott, Housing Counselor at Project Sentinel, one of the members of ForeclosureHelpSCC.

WHAT IS THE CONSUMER FINANCIAL PROTECTION BUREAU (CFPB)?

In July 2010, Congress passed and President Obama signed the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.  Part of this Act created the CFPB which consolidates most Federal consumer financial protection authority into one place.  The services of the CFPG became effective on October 22, 2012.  The goal of the CFPB is:  watch out for American consumers in the market for consumer financial products and services.

HOW CAN THE CFPB HELP YOU WITH CREDIT REPORT PROBLEMS?

The CFPB can help with:

  1. Consumer reporting agency’s investigations,
  2. Incorrect credit report information,
  3. Improper use of a credit report,
  4. Assistance to get a copy of a credit score or report, and
  5. Problems with credit monitoring or identify protection services.

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO DO?

This step is covered under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA).  If you are experiencing any problems with your credit report, you should first of all send a letter to the credit bureau in question stating the complaint or error that needs to be addressed or resolved.  You must include copies of supporting documents as well as your complete name and address, and your letter should clearly identify each item in dispute.  You must request that the information be removed or corrected.  Send the letter by certified mail, ‘return receipt requested,’ so you can document that the credit bureau received the letter.

TIP:  Include a copy of the credit report with the error highlighted or circled and keep a copy of the letter and supporting documents.

If the credit bureau deems your complaint as legitimate, they have 30 days to investigate.  They must also forward the information you provide about the inaccuracy to the organization that provided the information.  The information provider must investigate, review the relevant information, and report the results back to the credit bureau.  If the information provider finds the disputed information is inaccurate, it must notify all the credit bureaus so they can correct the information they have in your file.

When the investigation is complete, the credit bureau must give you the results in writing and a free copy of your report if the dispute results in a change to your credit report.  This free credit report does not count as your annual free report.  If an item is changed or deleted, the credit bureau cannot put the disputed information back in your file unless the information provider verifies it is accurate and complete.  The credit bureau also must send you written notice that includes the name, address, and phone number of the information provider.

If you wish, you can request that the credit bureau send notices of any corrections to anyone who received your credit report in the past six months.  You can have a corrected copy of your report sent to anyone who received a copy during the past two years for employment purposes.

If the investigation doesn’t resolve your dispute or problem, you can ask that a statement of the dispute be included in your file and in future reports.  You also can ask the credit bureau to provide your statement to anyone who received a copy of your report in the recent past.  You can expect to pay a fee for this service.

A credit bureau can report negative but correct information for seven years and bankruptcy information for 10 years.  There is no time limit for reporting criminal conviction; information reported in response to your application for a job that pays more than $75,000 a year; and information reported because you’ve applied for more than $150,000 worth of credit or life insurance.  In general the seven-year reporting period runs from the date that the event took place.

WHAT IF THE PROBLEM IS NOT FIXED?

If the problem is not resolved, you can:

  1. Contact the CFPB at 1-855-411-2372 or TTY/TDD 1-855-729-2372;
  2. File a complaint with the CFPB at  http://www.consumerfinance.gov/blog/headline-now-accepting-credit-reporting-complaints/ ;
  3. Send a letter to Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, P. O. Box 4503, Iowa City, Iowa 52244.

You may also enjoy reading our previous blog post, “Rebuilding Credit After a Short Sale”  en español:  “Mejorando El Credito Despues De Una Ejecución De Hipoteca O Venta Corta”

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 or send us an email: help@foreclosurehelpscc.org.

Si usted es dueño de una casa en San José o en Sunnyvale y están luchando con su hipoteca, por favor póngase en contacto con ForeclosureHelpSCC, un programa financiado por la ciudad de San José y la ciudad de Sunnyvale, al (408) -293- 6000, o visite nuestro sitio: www.foreclosurehelpscc.org. Nuestros consejeros aprobados por HUD puede ayudarle a evaluar sus opciones, aprender más acerca de los programas federales y estatales que pueden ayudarle con sus problemas de hipoteca, y le ayudará a crear un plan para seguir.

Por favor, tenga en cuenta: Todos los contenidos incluidos en el blog ForeclosureHelpSCC se proporciona únicamente a título informativo y no debe ser considerada como consejo legal o fiscal. Si usted tiene alguna pregunta, por favor no dude en contactarnos a nuestra línea directa: (408) -293 -6000, o visite nuestro sitio: www.foreclosurehelpscc.org o envíenos un correo electrónico: help@foreclosurehelpscc.org.

Lee nuestros otros blogs en ​​español:

¿Por Qué Trabajar Con Un Consejero de Casa?

5 Programas importante para los propietarios de California

Help with rental assistance after a foreclosure – What’s out there?

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

What’s out there for me to rent?” and “where to do I begin to research rentals?”With more people becoming displaced as a result of foreclosures, short sales or because of deeds-in-lieu of foreclosures, these questions are being asked by many, many people.

One place you can go to begin your search is at www.scchousingsearch.org. It is a very informative website to search for rental housing in Santa Clara County.  It provides information on various types of rentals including, apartments, townhomes etc. This website can help you find available rentals in different cities throughout Santa Clara County.  You can also call and speak with a live person who will assist you in looking for a rental- call Toll-Free: 1.877.428.8844.

Before you begin your search, it is a good idea to know what size rental you are looking for and how much you can afford to spend on rent. If you are looking to rent something larger such as a house, you can also check out websites such as www.zillow.com or www.craigslist.org. At www.craigslist.org you can tailor your search to different areas of the bay area.

Before you begin your search it is important that you review your credit history and score as a credit evaluation is required with most rental applications. You can order your credit reports from the three bureaus: Experian, Equifax and TransUnion through www.annualcreditreport.com.  Under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, each one of the three agencies (Experian, Equifax, and Transunion) is required to provide you a free copy of your report once a year.  While you are ordering your reports it is a good idea to purchase your credit score.  Your credit report is free but the scores have to be purchased- the fee is around $8.00 per score.

Check to see what is listed on your reports and also what your scores are before you submit a rental application to a landlord or property management company. You want to check for any unpaid debts or judgments within the last two years. If your credit report does have recent unpaid debts you can contact a HUD-approved credit counseling agency such as SurePath Financial Solutions to receive a free consultation to review options on improving your credit.

Note: If your report does show a foreclosure it will remain on your credit report for seven years but, the effects of the foreclosure will lessen with time – refer to the My FICO website.

With so many people seeking rental housing these days, landlords and property management companies can be very selective regarding whose applications they approve. Each landlord or property management company has their own set of guidelines to follow in order to approve an application. For example, a landlord or property management company may require a credit score of 650 or higher and your gross income to be two to three times the monthly rent. Some may require no recent bankruptcies and no convictions for specific criminal activity etc.

If you have a foreclosure or short sale on your credit report, it may be better to mention it to your potential landlord before they pull your credit report.  They may be willing to still rent to you if you put down a larger deposit, or if you have good references.  Or, if they tell you that they absolutely will not rent to somebody with a foreclosure or short sale, then you can save the fee that you will pay for them to pull your credit report.

Landlords will also check for recent unpaid debts or unresolved judgments and if you’ve been evicted from previous rentals or foreclosed homes. If you have recently paid some outstanding balances, it might not show on your credit report right away. If the updates are not reflected on the credit report, make sure to mention it with your application, so you can show proof of resolved debt issues and that may help you through the rental process.

Be prepared to pay a non-refundable fee of approximately $20-$35 per person in the application, for them to run your credit report.  If you are approved, you will be asked to pay a security deposit, first and/or last month’s rent. Some landlords or property management companies may consider a larger security deposit to allow for pets and they may request all adults over the age of 18 who will be living in the home to fill out an application.

If you do not qualify for a rental, some property management companies will send you a copy of your credit report they requested and will include the reasons why you did not qualify.

If you do not immediately qualify for a rental then another strategy is to see if you can possibly rent a room (www.craigslist.org also has listings from room rentals) or stay with family or friends for a short term while you find a more permanent housing. The qualification for renting a room might be simpler compared to an apartment, but you will still need to provide proof of income, a security deposit and possibly referrals from previous landlords. The option of renting a room will give you some time to increase your savings, pay off some debts and work on improving your credit so later you qualify to rent a place on your own.

One thing the rental application does not list but you will definitely need is a lot of is patience. You will need patience as you search for and apply for a rental because more people are looking to rent now. You will also need patience while working on improving your credit. As mentioned before, it may take up to 45 to 60 days for your credit report to reflect activity such as paying off debts. As stated above, if you would like information and assistance improving your credit, you can contact a HUD- approved credit counseling agency for a free consultation. Then, the next time you submit a rental application you will have a better chance of qualifying for the rental you are seeking.

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 or send us an email: help@foreclosurehelpscc.org.