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Foreclosure and Loan Modification Blog

Loan Modification Saves NJ Homeowner From M&T Bank Foreclosure

Disclaimer: These results should not be taken as a guarantee, as each case is unique. We have helped over 7,000 homeowners. Here is one of their stories.

In January of 2016, a homeowner I'll call Pablo Iglesias (to protect his privacy) retained Amerihope Alliance Legal Services for foreclosure defense and loan modification assistance in order to keep his Bergen County, NJ home.

His servicer and lender are Hudson City Savings Bank, and M&T Bank is the investor in his loan. Iglesias was 15 months and $79,642 past due on his $5,137 a month mortgage payment. He had an unpaid principal balance of $664,000, and an interest rate of 6.625%.

What Does a Foreclosure Defense Attorney Actually Do for You?

If you're considering hiring an attorney to help you avoid foreclosure and/or get a loan modification, you may be wondering what specifically an attorney will do to help you keep your home. You know your mortgage issues are too important to try to handle alone, but how exactly does an attorney help?

Do they just show up in court and say something in Latin “Your honor, the corpus juris, et cetera, entitle my client to keep their house. Also, carpe diem, and liberum domum (free house), please.”

Of course not. So what does an attorney actually do when you hire them to defend you from foreclosure and assist you in getting a loan modification?

New Jersey Number Two in Country for Foreclosures

In the first quarter of 2016 the U.S. saw less foreclosure activity than in any quarter since the fourth of 2006. But New Jersey continues to struggle with a foreclosure rate that's much worse than the national average.

Nationwide, one in every 459 homes in the country had a foreclosure filing in the first quarter of 2016. But in the garden state it's one in 216.

According to RealtyTrac's Foreclosure Market Report the only state with more is Maryland with one in every 194 housing units having a default notice, scheduled foreclosure auction, or bank repossession.

Southern Jersey and Atlantic County are struggling particularly hard.

Does Your State Require Judicial or Nonjudicial Foreclosure?

When you do not pay your home loan payments, your lender is required to follow the laws and procedures of your state to take ownership of your home and sell it. Some states require lenders to file a lawsuit in court in order to foreclose, which is known as judicial foreclosure. Other states allow lenders to foreclose without filing a lawsuit in court, which is known as nonjudicial foreclosure. Roughly half of the states have judicial foreclosure rules and half have nonjudicial. 

Can a Home Be Foreclosed If Property Taxes Are Not Paid?

Few people have been more universally hated throughout history than tax collectors. They take your hard-earned money, but it always seems like too much for what the government they represent provides in return. It's a story as old as civilization. Nobody likes paying taxes.

Hire a Foreclosure Defense Attorney? What Happens When You Get Served.

You’ve been served and you weren’t playing basketball. If you’re a couple months behind in your mortgage, you probably knew it was coming. You asked for more time to pay the back mortgage payments. Instead, your lender starts threatening you with the F-word. You have two options when facing foreclosure: let your lender win or hire a foreclosure defense attorney and fight.

The Judicial Foreclosure Process

Whether you live in New York, Illinois, Florida or New Jersey, foreclosures are judicial, which means the lender must file a lawsuit in state court. The court allows a lender to start the foreclosure process after you miss three payments. However, most lenders wait for you to become more than three months behind. How nice of your lender, right?

The Folly of Foreclosure [Infographic]

You are up to date with your mortgage payments and bills - congratulations. Think that your neighbor's foreclosure isn't going to affect you? Think again.

THE EFFECTS OF FORECLOSURE:

Emotional Well-Being Distressed - According to Harris Interactive Poll of persons going through foreclosure 38% are Scared, 35% are Depressed, 9% are Angry, 8% are Embarrassed, and 9% None of these.

Increase of Violent and Petty Crime - According to Neighbor Works America, homes in foreclosure that become vacant provide sites for crime. Lin Cui of the University of Pittsburgh Department of Economics study showed that the rate of violent crime within 250 feet of the property is 15% higher than the rate in the area between 250 and 353 feet from the property.

Celebrating 20 Years of Service - Attorney at Law, Gregory M. Nordt, Esq.

Attorney at Law, Gregory M. Nordt, Esq. has reached another milestone – 20 years of service and experience in the field. He has been practicing foreclosure defense, banking/finance law, tax law, and IRS tax controversy since 1995. Mr. Nordt, along with his team at Amerihope Alliance Legal Services, invoke candor, integrity, and expertise whilst defending their clients. All with the common end goal of achieving the best possible outcomes.

“I, along with our entire team, am extremely proud of our attorney Greg Nordt, that he has reached this career milestone with such integrity," said Amerihope Alliance Legal Services Operations Manager Sherrill Clark. "We applaud Greg for his long standing commitment and passion." All cases are unique and Mr. Nordt treats all clients with the respect and care they deserve.  From the start, Mr. Nordt fights alongside his clients to ensure the end goal is met. 

“There are so many talented people I work with. For the last three years our Managing

And the Winner Is... [2015 Client Distinction Award Winner]

For the third year in a row, Gregory M. Nordt, ESQ is a Martindale-Hubbell® Client Review Rated Lawyer of Distinguished 4.4 out of 5 as of January 1, 2015 based on his client reviews of four main areas of question:

Eminent Domain to Help Fight Foreclosure In New Jersey, Who Knew!

If you're not quite sure what eminent domain is, or if you just forgot, then let me refresh your memory. Eminent domain is “The compulsory purchase (as in, required by law, obligatory, mandatory, or in other words AGAINST YOUR WILL) to take private property (in this case your home) for public use by a state or national government. However, it can be legislatively delegated by the state to municipalities, government subdivisions, or even private persons or corporations when they are authorized to exercise functions of public character.... I don't know about you, but being forced out of my home by the government doesn't seem like a great idea to me, and now New Jersey homeowners are on boat with (a watered down version of eminent domain) to (possibly) save them from losing their homes? Are you seeing an awkward paradox here...? (WHAT THE HECK NEW JERSEY?!).

Ok, ok, let's stop the dramatic antics, even though eminent domain (in its natural definition) sounds sadistic and sinister, Newark, New Jersey's government is planning to use it for homeowners' benefit. Apparently, there is a new process in the works that would “allow the township to seize underwater mortgages and restructure them on behalf of homeowners to make payments more affordable.” Hmm, sounds intriguing, what else?

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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