Foreclosure and Loan Modification Blog

Jake Sterling

Jake Sterling is Amerihope Alliance Legal Services' Homeowner Liaison. He helps to bring awareness and teach homeowners about foreclosure defense and options to save their homes.

Recent Posts

Choosing a Foreclosure Defense Attorney in New Jersey

Millions of homeowners in the United States face foreclosure every year and thousands lose their homes. The highest foreclosures rates are in Florida, New Jersey and New York at 11%, 8% and 5% respectively. You can delay or stop foreclosure by hiring a professional foreclosure defense attorney to help you. The defense attorney will negotiate with the lender on your behalf and take steps to ensure that you do not lose your home.

Before you hit the road looking for a foreclosure defense attorney in New Jersey, you must know what a foreclosure is and why you need an attorney.

Understanding the New Jersey Foreclosure Process

Finding a New Jersey Foreclosure Attorney means first understanding the foreclosure process for the state of New Jersey. A foreclosure defense attorney must be licensed to practice in the same state as your property. As foreclosure laws differ from state to state, be sure you understand the process and hire an attorney who is well versed in handling cases in New Jersey.

Like in most states, it takes about 3 months of missed payments for the bank to begin the default process. In the state of New Jersey, the lender must file a notice of intent to foreclose 33 days prior to serving the homeowner with actual foreclosure papers.

How to Stop Foreclosure in Florida

Editor's note: This article was originally published in 2013, and has been updated for accuracy in 2016.

Whether you're already in foreclosure or just in fear of being served foreclosure, the question of how to stop the foreclosure process and the thought of losing your home are probably already keeping you up at night. If you're in foreclosure or in fear of foreclosure there are several steps you can take to either prolong the process or stop foreclosure in Florida.

How to Complete a Financial Worksheet for a Loan Modification Package

If you're one of the millions of Americans at risk of foreclosure, or possibly already in foreclosure, chances are you are terrified of losing your home. The best way to approach the bank and ask for a loan modification is with the help of a foreclosure attorney. However, many homeowners decide to deal directly with the bank and take it upon themselves to submit a loan modification package and financial worksheet in order to lower their monthly mortgage payment.

Most banks will ask for two very important documents in your loan modification package

Understanding the Foreclosure Process in New York

When trying to find a New York Foreclosure Attorney, there are a few things to keep in mind. Every state is different when it comes to foreclosure laws. Because of this, the first thing you need to do is make sure that your attorney is licensed to do business in the same state as your property. In order to proceed in a foreclosure case, your attorney must have a license to do business in that state.

Do I need a Forensic Loan Audit?

A few years ago a forensic loan audit was a common tool for "mortgage rescue" companies if you suspected your bank of unfair practices and wished to pursue a lawsuit against your lender. However forensic loan audits are unnecessary in relation to the numerous other ways a foreclosure attorney can fight for your home.

The FTC warns consumers against companies using Forensic Loan Audits to lure in clients as a mortgage loan audit is expensive and offers no significant benefit to the homeowner.

A good foreclosure lawyer will make sure all of your loan paperwork is compliant, if necessary, as a tactic in your foreclosure defense case.

Florida Foreclosure Bill Passes Senate Committee

A new foreclosure bill is being proposed by Florida legislature to speed up foreclosures in Florida. Although recently passed by a Senate committee, the bill still must pass three more committees in the Senate and one more in the House. The bill is designed to speed foreclosure cases through the court system by allowing semi-retired judges to take on foreclosure cases, as well as allowing a number of other provisions designed to help "streamline" the amount of foreclosure cases in the state of Florida. Florida already holds a quarter of the nation's foreclosure cases, and is working to expedite the judicial process of foreclosure.

What is a Conciliation Conference?

foreclosure conciliation conferenceThe idea of holding a conciliation conference for a loan modification or a foreclosure case is relatively new. Because of the large amount of foreclosures in Florida, a mediation is no longer required by law. A homeowner can request a mediation if they choose. However, this can get expensive because both their lawyer and the bank's lawyer will have to meet in person at the expense of the homeowner. In order to expedite the loan modification process, many lawyers are requesting conciliation conferences via phone instead.

How do I get a conciliation conference?

If you're a homeowner who has submitted a loan modification package to their bank and hasn't gotten a response, you may want to consider hiring a foreclosure defense attorney to help. A foreclosure attorney can not only present the loan modification package in a way that will encourage the bank to accept your offer, they can also request a conciliation conference with the decision maker at the bank. A homeowner alone will have almost no luck in trying to contact the bank and actually get in contact with someone who has the authority to make a decision on their loan modification.

Finding a Loan Modification Attorney

loan modification attorneyFinding an attorney that can help you with your loan modification is a great way to one-up the banks when trying to protect your home from foreclosure. However, you should not hire an attorney who simply does loan modifications. A licensed attorney must also provide foreclosure defense. The loan modification process alone does not protect you from foreclosure.

Anyone can submit a loan modification

You don't have to be a lawyer to submit a loan modification to the bank. However, banks can be very selective about which loan modifications they do and don't accept.

Foreclosure Defense: How to Prolong Foreclosure

prolong foreclosure processForeclosure defense can usually prolong foreclosure a long time. In many cases, people will stay in their homes at least a year before a sale date is even set on their home. This means that some homeowners may want to prolong the foreclosure process while they work out a solution to keep their home, or as a means to save money before they eventually move out of the house.

How long does foreclosure defense take?

About this Blog

Amerihope Alliance Legal Services is a leading loan modification and foreclosure defense law firm with attorneys licensed in 5 states. We have helped over 7,000 homeowners fight back and keep their homes.

Click to Read Our Super Loan Mod Success Stories

Our goal is to provide valuable information to help homeowners who are trying to obtain a loan modification or to stop foreclosure. You may schedule a free consultation at any time.

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