If you’ve fallen behind on your mortgage—even by just a few payments—you’re in default. That means your lender can legally begin foreclosure proceedings. And eventually, you’ll receive a notice of default, a warning that you’re violating your mortgage terms and could lose your home.
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Foreclosure Headlines — Here’s How to Protect Yourself From Scams
Turn on the news or scroll through social media, and you’ll probably see another headline about foreclosures.
“Foreclosures Are Rising”
“Foreclosures Are a Hot Investment”
While these stories often focus on trends or investors, they overlook the real people behind the numbers—homeowners fighting to stay in their homes. If you're struggling with mortgage payments, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and vulnerable.
Unfortunately, foreclosure scams target people in exactly that position.
To help you avoid becoming a victim, here are four critical tips from the Federal Reserve Board on how to steer clear of foreclosure scams:
1. Don’t Pay an Arm and a Leg
There is a legal fee associated with hiring an attorney. Some law firm permit monthly payments which make hiring an attorney much more affordable.
Red flags to avoid:
Requests for payment only by cashier’s check or wire transfer
Lack of experience, look for an attorney that has represented thousands of homeowner for over a decade
Bankruptcy is their only solution.
2. Beware of Guarantees
Not even the best attorney or —can guarantee to stop foreclosure.
Law firms should will help you explore your options, like loan restructure, repayment plan, forbearance, but they won’t promise results they can’t control.
If someone says they can guarantee a specific result, walk away. Always get everything in writing.
3. Know What You’re Signing — and Who You’re Signing It With
Never sign anything you haven’t read or don’t fully understand.
And don’t:
Sign blank documents
Allow someone to “fill out the paperwork for you”Sign anything that could transfer ownership of your home without first consulting an attorney
Slow down, ask questions, and seek legal advice.
4. If It Sounds Too Good to Be True, It Probably Is
Trust your gut. If you're hearing is Big Promises that’s a sign to be cautious.
If you believe you've been targeted by a scam, report it—and don’t delay in seeking legitimate help.
Bottom Line: You Don’t Have to Face Foreclosure Alone
Protect yourself by working only with trusted legal professionals, getting everything in writing, and knowing your rights. There is real help out there—you just have to know where to look.
Consult with a qualified foreclosure attorney right away.
New Law Helps Veterans Avoid Foreclosure – Here’s How We Can Help
President Donald Trump has signed the VA Home Loan Program Reform Act (H.R. 1815) into law, giving veterans new tools to avoid losing their homes. For veteran homeowners who are struggling to keep up with mortgage payments, this law creates a partial claims program under the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Home Loan Program.
Summer is meant to be a time for relaxation—but if you’re behind on mortgage payments or have received a foreclosure notice, it can feel like the walls are closing in. The good news is: foreclosure is not the end of the road. You have options—and the sooner you act, the more of them you’ll have.
A successful relationship between a client and a law firm requires both parties to do their job. The firm may have the most work to do, but there are some things that only the client can do. Even the greatest attorney in the world can't get you what you want if you're not playing ball.
If you hire our law firm, take the steps below to ensure that you have the best relationship with us and the highest chance of getting the outcome you want.
1. Add our phone numbers to your contacts and return our calls.
Have you ever received a call from an unknown number and not answered it because you assumed that if the caller was important to you, you'd already have their number saved in your phone? Probably a telemarketer, you figured. Then you get a voice mail and realize that the caller was someone very important to you, but you didn't add their number to your contacts yet. Crap!
Don't let that happen with a call from your lawyer. Add our number to your contacts and answer when we call you -- it's probably important. If you're a client of our firm, you will be getting calls from 877-882-5338 and 866-558-2408. You might also want to add your paralegal's direct fax number, so you have it handy while you're doing #3 below.
A loan modification can allow you to keep your home and avoid foreclosure after falling behind on your mortgage, but it's not necessarily all roses. In fact, there are some downsides to loan mods that your lender may not go out of their way tell you about.
If you don't know, a loan modification is a permanent change to one or more of the terms of your mortgage, such as the term, interest rate, and monthly payment.
A loan modification is often the only hope many homeowners have to keep their home following a default. They can be great, however if you need one, you should be aware of the following:
Here are just a few of the things I overheard last week:
- "Wells Fargo gave me a 3 month forbearance, I don't need to make any payments."
- "If they can't foreclose, why should I make my mortgage payments?"
- "Mr. Cooper is letting me skip three mortgage payments, I ordered new patio furniture."
How would you respond to each of these? Let's take a look.
Mr. Cooper Loan Modification
We received a modification for our client's mortgage with Mr. Cooper. They were 10 months behind, and in an active foreclosure case. This new modification lowers their mortgage payments from $803.82 per month to $743.64.
Do you have a Mr. Cooper mortgage that's past due? See some of our other Mr. Cooper case results here.
Only if you have to.
Our attorneys' COVID-19 advice:
- If you can afford to keep paying your mortgage during a hardship caused by Coronavirus, keep paying your mortgage.
- If you cannot afford to make your mortgage payments, our lawyers want to do everything possible to help you understand your options and be protected from your bank's misrepresentations.
Q: Why?
A: Because in our experience, most mortgage "disaster relief" becomes a nightmare.
