99 Homes: Fact v. Fiction
When foreclosure defense comes to the big screen, you know I’m going to see it. I took a break from work this weekend to watch 99 Homes, a movie about the 2o1o foreclosure crisis in Florida. Overall, I thought it was more »
Tag: loan modification
FAQ: What is a Principal Forebearance? Is it the Same as Principal Forgiveness?
Question: What is a principal forbearance? Is it the same as principal forgiveness? Answer: No. A homeowner applying for a loan modification often owes a great deal on his or her home. As such, a loan modification attempts to make more »
Recent News: Federal Report Shows Loan Servicers Offering Few Loan Modifications to Borrowers
A recent report from the federal government shows that loan servicers are offering few loan modifications to borrowers through the federal government’s Making Home Affordable Program. This program, created in the wake of the financial crisis, was intended to keep struggling more »
Beware of Foreclosure Defense Scams
In addition to the loss of homeownership for many Americans, the continuing foreclosure crisis has another dire consequence: the rise of foreclosure defense scams. A recent story from New Jersey about a family losing their home due to a nationwide more »
Principle Reduction for Mortgage Loans
A recent Wall Street Journal article discusses the ongoing conflict regarding principle reduction for mortgage loans. As the article stresses, Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac—two of the largest holders of mortgage loans in the United States—usually do not permit principle reductions of loans (where the more »
“Strategic Default” and Foreclosure Defense
If you have been following the news in the last few weeks, you have probably heard about the New York Times’s editorial Why I Defaulted on My Student Loans. In this opinion piece, the author gives his reasons for more »
FAQ: Can My Home Be Foreclosed While I Am Applying for a Loan Modification?
Question: Can my home be foreclosed while I am applying for a loan modification? Answer: Generally, no. Recent loan servicing regulations prohibit “dual tracking”, a procedure where servicers review loan modifications while simultaneously pursuing foreclosure. These regulations restrict servicers from more »
HAMP Extended to 2016
The Federal Government announced last Friday that the Home Affordable Modification Program (“HAMP”) has been extended to the end of 2016. HAMP was set to expire at the end of this year; this extension provides homeowners with additional time to more »
Firm News: Sherwin Law Firm Succeeds in Raising Foreclosure Defense Claims for Massachusetts Homeowner
I’m pleased to write that I recently won a decision from Plymouth Superior Court allowing me to raise foreclosure defense claims against a servicer and lender who claimed to have performed a lawful foreclosure against my client. These claims resulted from the servicer’s more »
A Guide for Fighting a Loan Modification Denial
I recently published a guide on Avvo.com on “How to Fight a Loan Modification Denial.” As I state in the guide, fighting a loan modification generally requires a lawyer’s help, but this guide has advice on what can be done to prepare more »