Living in Contra Costa County: January 2011

Wrongful Foreclosures Against Military Service Members - More Evidence That CHASE Bank Sucks

Did you need more evidence that CHASE sucks?  Probably not.  Those that know me know CHASE is high up there on my hit list.  Given that all the major banks left standing after the financial crisis came hat in hand for government welfare checks when the time was right, I tend to think those same banks should be participating fully in the recovery.  Call me crazy.  In my opinion and experience, CHASE stands out as one of the worst in terms of timelines on short sales and greed.  Their actions leave their distressed borrowers in an almost paralyzing financial position.  My experience with CHASE is that they are especially bad at short sale processing.  Bank of America used to be right  up there with them, if not worse - but, I must (relunctantly) admit that they've cleaned up their act quite a bit. 

Not CHASE though, they're still at the "Unnecessary Delay Party" when it comes to short sales, even though the lights are off and the music has stopped playing.  In my experience, it typically takes CHASE five months to get to work on an "ordinary" file.  After all, I shouldn't have to call a government agency every time I want someone to look at a file, right?   Also, when CHASE holds a second position in a short sale they are also particularly unreasonable to deal with, especially once a file reaches the CHASE Loss Recovery Department, aka, the "Lost Recovery" Department.  

In my experience, when in the second lien holder position, CHASE routinely demands sums far in excess of what they would allow if they were in the 1^st lien holder's position, and they will try to tank a short sale if they don't get it.  Hypocrisy you say?   No, that's just a day in the life of CHASE.  In fact, they were among a short list of lenders identified in an expose of lenders allegedly engaging in fraudulent short sale practices.  There are, of course, reports of widespread foreclosure fraud by CHASE as well.  And, recently a CHASE Loss Mitigation Specialist was convicted of taking bribes in connection with information he discovered and improperly disclosed while in the employ of CHASE Bank.  Maybe he caught the bug. 

So, this new report is not surprising to me.  CHASE recently admitted to wrongly foreclosing on military families.  Under the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, CHASE was supposed to charge no more than 6% interest on loans to active duty service members.  Remember your buddy the government CHASE?  The one you turned to in the time of need? Well these are the folks we all turn to in our time of need - military service members.  These are the people that are serving our country.  You know, the same country that bailed you out? 

What stands out most to me, is that one of the people that took them to task over it had to fight CHASE for 5 years.  Five years fighting with an almost impenetrable bureaucracy.  I'm quite familiar with what it is like to do battle against CHASE; I do it every day for my clients.  I can't imagine adding to that the stress of an active duty or deployed family member to the mix.  When you persist in a course of action for five years, one can hardly call it a mistake.   In my view, it is a typical CHASE move.  They had to be sued to be held accountable.  I could never in good conscience send anyone through the doors of CHASE Bank for a loan knowing how they have treated their consumers in distress and on active duty.

Copyright © 2011 Tni LeBlanc *Wrongful Foreclosures Against Deployed Service Members - More Evidence That CHASE Bank Sucks*

 

 

It started off that Noah sold 69 tickets to tons of family & friend support.  Fundraisers like this can be fun.  Immanual Cadets made $2 per ticket sold.  That was a pretty successful fundraiser since all together the Cadets sold 384 tickets (maybe more since kids kept selling after the official turn in date). 

The O'Neal Family is very appreciative to all of our friends that supported Noah in this fundraiser.  It was a fun time watching all that hockey that broke out in the fight game.  Great times catching up with friends.

The Immanuel Cadet Honor Guard consisted of Noah O'Neal, Cullen Burris, Nick VanderWeide, Dakota Roos & Devin Roos.  It's truly an honor to watch your son carrying the American Flag amongst his peers.  I had goose bumps & could have gone home after watching them, but so glad I didn't.  

 If you are thinking of buying or selling a house in Tracy, Ripon, Manteca, Mountain House, Stockton, Modesto, Lathrop or Salida, call me at 209-321-6122 or email christina@christinaoneal.com

Wordless Wednesday (almost!): Pure reflection

Ever question why people say that a bad day of fishing is better than a good day at work? After an exceptional day on the lake with anchors set, calm waters lazily lapping at the hull, the sun peeking through tufts of clouds, the azure sky, you'll wonder no more...

Pure reflection at its best.

 --oOo--

One of our favorite fishing spots is at Panguitch Lake where this photo was taken and if you'd like more information on this beautiful southern Utah recreational area, go to:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panguitch_Lake

And for vacation information, go to:

www.bearparfishingresort.com or http://www.go-utah.com/Blue-Springs-Lodge/

 <<<0>>>

Looking for an experienced REALTOR® in southern Utah? Click here

To discover sunny southern Utah for yourself, go to: www.buynsellutah.com

I, Wanda Kubat-Nerdin at Prado & Kramer Real Estate am responsible for my opinions expressed in this blog. Information herein is deemed to be reliable but not guaranteed and may change due to market conditions. Please do not take my pictures or artwork and use them as your own, they are my property, other than the photos from Microsoft Publisher. Copyright ©

 

Why is my loan modification being turned down? 

That is one of the most asked questions we get. We get calls after homeowners have been trying for months to get a loan modification. 

The number one reason that loan modifications get turned down is because of misinformation and the path by which the homeowner takes in order to try to get their loan modification through. Choosing the right advocate is crucial in the loan modification program. 

Homeowners need to be very careful on who they choose. Most of the companies advertising on Television are making false promises. If it sounds too good to be true, it is.

The first rule is to never pay up front money to get your loan modification started. The payment for services should be at the successful approval of a permanent loan modification. 

In the state of Florida it is illegal for any loan modification company to ask for prepayment for services. 

When you call those 800#s you are going to get a person who's job it is to get you into the system. Their only job is to process your information. They are not going to tell you whether you qualify or not. 

This holds true with going direct to your lender also. The person who answers the phone is there to get the number of applications up so that they can show the government that they are taking loan modification applications. 

You are just a number to them. This is hard to grasp since most of us would never treat another person this way, we would not string people along giving false hope. 

Before you ever even call your lender or hire someone to do a loan modification for you there are a few questions that you can ask yourself: 

• Are you unemployed? If you do not have a job, you are not going to be approved for a loan modification. 

• Is your mortgage payment/taxes and HOA fees more than one third of the income you bring in? If so, you are not going to get a loan modification because of a list of guidelines they go by. 

• Are you an investor? If you are going for HAMP or any government sponsored loan modification program you are over 97% likely to be rejected if you are not living in the property that you are requesting the loan modification program for. 

These are the simplest of questions that you can ask yourself to see if it is ever worth going through this long drawn out process. 

Stop Foreclosure- Learn Your Options. Maybe a short sale is your best option.Florida Foreclosure Options- may be able to help you.

If you are considering the option of short selling your Wellington Fl home in Palm Beach County, Broward County, St Lucie County, Martin County or Miami/Dade County- call us today at 561-753-0135 for a confidential intake evaluation in order to estimate the possible outcomes of your short sale.

   

 

 

   

 

 

        

 

 

Copyright © By Katerina Gasset 2011*Why Is My Loan Modification Being Turned Down?*

 

 

 

I had a client who was buying a bank owned home, and as we all know a good majority of banks will not pay for a home warranty, so my clients asked me if having one was really necessary this is how I answered.

Mr. and Mrs. First time Homebuyer,

To answer your question honestly, it's not completely necessary for you to get one. It is entirely your choice, but I would highly recommend you consider it, with this being a bank owned home and they don't warranty anything it would be very wise for you to get a home warranty for that added protection. Think about it this way, once the summer months come around, it starts getting in the triple digits and you turn your A/C on, uh oh the A/C isn't working, instead of paying around $500 $600 for someone to come out to completely repair your A/C unit, with a home warranty you pay a minimum deductable, and they fix it and that is that.. You do have to renew the premium every year, that is if you wish to continue to warranty the home, but for the first year, I would highly recommend it. Please let me know what you decide so I can let escrow know so we can get the home warranty ordered as soon as possible if that is your decision.

Thanks,
Your All Knowing Realtor =)

 Stacey Smith
The Homefinding Center
949.350.8922 

I help buyers find homes and sellers sell their current home and assist with relocation in Corona, Yorba Linda, and Anaheim Hills. Neighborhoods I specialize in include Eastlake, Eastlake Village, Kerrigan Ranch, Terra Linda Estate, Travis Ranch, Vista Del Verde in Yorba Linda. Nohl Ranch, Parkside, Peralta Hills, Rimcrest Villas, Running Springs, Summit Hills, Westridge Estates, Yorba Regional Park in Anaheim Hills. Eastvale, Eastvalle, Corona Hills, Coronita, Dos Lagos, Down Town Corona, Eagle Glen, El Cerrito, Ethomeloan, Glen Ivy, Green River, Horsethief Canyon, Inland Empire, Lake Hills, Mountain Gate, Parkview Estates, Sierra Del Oro, South Corona, Sycamore Creek, The Retreat, Trilogy, Villa Corona, and Wildrose in Corona.   

     

    

 

Please Allow Me To Assist You and Your Family in Finding The Perfect Home As Your Real Estate Agent!

 

Will The Seller Take $XXXXX.00 For This House?

I recently had this question posed to me about one of my listings.

I get this a lot.  Buyers and their agents will often verbally ask if a seller will accept a certain amount for a home that is listed.  Not to be mean or discouraging, my answer is always the same "well I don't know but if you could put it on paper, I'll be sure to present it to the seller."

Real estate agents can attest to this scenario time and time again. We've all been there before.  Faced with the buyer's agent or a buyer who wants us to commit (so to speak) the seller to an offer before it's even been presented.

People often take for granted that a home is listed higher than what the seller is willing to accept.  Sometimes that is true but it varies.  The fact is, there are homes that are properly priced and the seller expects that the home will sell for that amount.  But again, you just never know until a "complete" offer is submitted.

Even sellers often think that price is the be all end all of an offer, but there are other things to consider such as:

• Is the seller expected to pay any of buyer's closing cost
• Desired closing date
• Contingencies (inspections, sell of a home, etc)
• Financing terms
• Is it a foreclosure or short sale
• Will there be repair request
• Many more to consider other than just price

Buyer's agents if you've ever listed a home before you know that verbally asking what a seller will or will not accept generally will not garner you a yes or no answer.

Buyers if you are serious about purchasing a particular home, please have your agent submit a complete offer in writing.

 

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Charita Cadenhead, Your Metropolitan Birmingham, Alabama Real Estate Broker of Choice

Got a question about Metropolitan Birmingham real estate? Just ask Charita. Need a good Realtor(R) to help you find a new home or sell the one you already own?  Just shoot me an email.  In need of a rental property?  Subscribe to be notified whenever we list a new rental or home for sale.

   

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