It is well documented that many borrowers now seeking loan-modifications are facing continuous roadblocks dealing with the mortgage firms they were borrowing from. Much of the inefficiencies in President Obama's Home Affordable Modification Program deal with lenders' unresponsiveness to customers. Improvements to the program have increased transparency in lenders' efforts to borrowers. But stricter guidelines will not ultimately force lenders to play it straight, which is why alternative Mortgage Assistance Programs should be viewed and taken into consideration.

A recent Yahoo article sheds light on the guilty practices of some mortgage firms now involved in the Treasury's program to modify troubled mortgages. The article mentions guilty of inexcusable practices dating ar far back as 2007, many with a no comment response. Instances of missed calls, shuffled or lost paperwork, unattainable payments and unfair late fees to customers mirror the problems facing Obama's HAMP program today.

So what have we learned?