foreclosure: Are home prices near their 2006 peak? - 02/04/14 12:23 AM
Are home prices near their 2006 peak? Did you know that in many markets, home prices are near their 2006 peak prices? In our market, home prices have drastically improved and look to continue improving. So if you or someone you know has been waiting to sell your home, especially if the home was “underwater,” now is the time to start exploring options!
I have a report that explains why prices keep rising and why your home is probably worth more than you think. You can download the report from my website www.DonnaHelpsHomeowners.INFO.
Do you know how much your home is … (1 comments)

foreclosure: Facing Foreclosure? You Have Options! - 01/03/14 05:26 AM

Facing Foreclosure? You Have Options!
 
A lot has changed since you bought your home.
 
If you or someone you know is among the 10 million homeowners who are falling further behind every single month because of an unmanageable mortgage payment, then that weight may feel unbearable. But there is actually some encouraging news: Government incentives, coupled with banks willing to help stem the foreclosure tide, are providing new opportunity.
 
You have options, and foreclosure is not one of them!
 
As a real estate professional with the Certified Distressed Property Expert® (CDPE) designation, I offer all of … (0 comments)

foreclosure: Fending Off Foreclosure—Real People~Real Crisis~Real Solutions - 12/02/13 06:04 AM
Fending Off Foreclosure—Real People~Real Crisis~Real Solutions
 
There has been much news over the past few years about the difficult times that homeowners have had as a result of the financial and housing collapse. Many homeowners lost their homes or collapsed under the weight of an unmanageable mortgage. These are homeowners who believed that they didn’t have any options.
Nothing could be further from the truth. There are millions of homeowners who have dealt with challenging mortgages, and many of them have found a path forward that doesn’t include foreclosure.
Below are three stories of homeowners who found themselves in danger … (0 comments)

foreclosure: 5 Ways to Beat Foreclosure! - 08/01/13 01:15 AM
5 Ways to Beat Foreclosure!
In the news, there is talk of a housing recovery. Experts feel more optimistic about the state of housing industry in America. However, if you or someone you know is one of the millions of homeowners who is stuck with a home on which you owe more than the property is worth, the feeling of helplessness can be overwhelming and frustrating.
 
Many people don’t realize that just because they are in danger of losing their home to foreclosure doesn’t mean they have to wait around for it to happen. With help, they can take matters … (1 comments)

foreclosure: Real Homeowner Stories: It All Started With a Miscommunication - 04/30/13 02:59 AM
 
Real Homeowner Stories: It All Started With a Miscommunication
 
For homeowners who are in danger of losing their home to foreclosure, it is common to feel like they are alone and that no one can help. This simply isn’t true. There are real people who have been in the same situation who have found solutions. Take Lian S. of Lakewood Ohio, for example.
For Lian, her financial troubles began with a miscommunication.
 
Lian and her husband had just had triplets who were born extremely premature. “I was on bed rest months before they were born and they had … (1 comments)

foreclosure: Real Homeowner Stories: A Fresh Start - 04/23/13 02:27 AM
Real Homeowner Stories: A Fresh Start For homeowners who are in danger of losing their home to foreclosure, it is common to feel like you are all alone and that there is no one who can help. This simply isn’t true. There are real people who have been in the same situation who have found solutions. Take, for example, Dan and Jessica M. of Grand Blanc Township, Michigan.
For Dan and Jessica, their homeownership dream always involved building a house on a piece of land. “We build a house on half an acre,” said Dan.
In order to achieve their dream, … (0 comments)

foreclosure: Real Homeowner Stories: A Miracle in the Form of a Red Envelope - 04/10/13 06:33 AM
 
Real Homeowner Stories: A Miracle in the Form of a Red Envelope
For homeowners who are in danger of losing their home to foreclosure, it is common to feel like you are alone and that there is no one to help. This simply isn’t true. There are real people who have been in the same situation who have found solutions. Take, for example, Punipuao W. of Hawaii.
Punipuao found herself struggling to keep her home after her husband passed away.  “With only my income, I was no longer able to make my monthly mortgage payment,” she said. Faced with the … (2 comments)

foreclosure: Your Ticket to Freedom from Mortgage Frustration - 07/13/12 02:24 AM
Your Ticket to Freedom from Mortgage Frustration
In the news, there is talk of a housing recovery. Experts feel more optimistic about the state of housing industry in America. However, if you or someone you know is one of the millions of homeowners who is stuck with a home on which you owe more than the property is worth, the feeling of helplessness can be overwhelming and frustrating.
 
Many people don’t realize that just because they are in danger of losing their home to foreclosure doesn’t mean they have to wait around for it to happen. With help, they can … (2 comments)

foreclosure: Time is Running Out: How the Mortgage Debt Relief Act can save you! - 06/08/12 12:32 AM
Time is Running Out: How the Mortgage Debt Relief Act can save you!
 
In 2007, the Mortgage Debt Relief Act was passed in an attempt to help the millions of homeowners who, due to the housing crisis and economic crash, suddenly found themselves in danger of losing their home to foreclosure.
 
The act has helped many distressed homeowners find solutions to avoid foreclosure and opened up options to them that were previously unavailable.
 
However, the Mortgage Debt Relief Act was always intended to be a temporary solution and it is now set to expire at the end … (0 comments)

foreclosure: Federal Reserve Recommends Short Sales Among Solutions to Housing Crisis - 02/17/12 07:15 AM
… (0 comments)

foreclosure: Robo-Signing Settlement is Historic: Not Without Controversy - 02/17/12 05:46 AM
On the historic date of  February 9th, the United States Justice Department released the details of a $25 billion dollar settlement they reached with 5 major banks. “The settlement occurred because the banks were accused of widespread use of “Robo-signing,” said Donna Tashjian, CDPE with Keller Williams.
 
Robo-signing is a practice employed by banks to automate the processing and approval of foreclosure proceedings against homeowners. “In many cases,” said Tashjian, “the banks were discovered to have processed thousands of foreclosures in a single day, all signed by one person.”
 
Donna Tashjian, a Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE), believes that … (1 comments)

foreclosure: 3 Reasons the Term “Strategic Default” Is Misleading - 01/20/12 08:47 AM
3 Reasons the Term “Strategic Default” Is Misleading
In a recent study, the Chicago Booth/Kellogg School Financial Trust Index found that a full 36% of Americans would consider “strategic default”—another term for walking away from your mortgage—if they were underwater (owed more on their home than what it was worth).
Now that more than one in four American homeowners is “underwater,” I feel that it’s important for the community to know the truth about strategic default.
The truth is the foreclosure process carries with it credit issues, current and future employment challenges, issues with security clearance and possible debt collections.
That’s … (1 comments)

foreclosure: Resolve to Face the Facts! - 12/30/11 04:41 AM
Resolve to Face the Facts!
Since 2007, 8.9 million homes have been lost to foreclosure and millions more are headed in that direction.
As a real estate professional who has earned the Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) designation, my mission is to ensure that you or anyone you care about does not add to that statistic.
The unfortunate fact is that so many homeowners who have played by the rules and never imagined that they could be facing foreclosure are now in a very tough situation.
More than one in four homeowners owes more on their mortgage than their home is … (1 comments)

foreclosure: Take action now to turn it around in 2012 - 12/02/11 04:29 AM
Take action now to turn it around in 2012
Recent economic upheaval has taken a hefty toll. Looking forward to 2012, it’s impossible to know what’s next and the kind of an impact that an upturn or a downturn at the national level stands to have on your family’s finances.
Regardless of what happens in Washington or on Wall Street, two things are very clear: you are not alone and now is the time to prepare for a new normal.
With a national epidemic of unemployment or underemployment, and 25 percent of the homeowners in the country owing more on their … (1 comments)

foreclosure: Short Sale vs Foreclosure in Deficiency & Purchasing again - 11/11/11 08:21 AM
 What is the difference between a short sale and foreclosure in:
 > Deficiency judgments...
> Waiting period to purchase again... 
Let's take a look...  
Foreclosure:  In 100% of foreclosures (except in those states where there is no deficiency) the bank has a right to pursue a deficiency judgement.  The home will have to go through a REO process if it does not sell at auction.  In most cases this will result in a lower sales price and longer time to sale in a declining market. This will result in a higher possible deficiency judgement. 
Short Sale: In some successful short sales it is possible to convince … (1 comments)

foreclosure: Foreclosure Fears Foster True Grief - 11/02/11 09:35 AM
Reports of foreclosures by the millions have been in the news so much over the past few years that to some, it might seem like the new normal. 
But as a real estate professional who is in the trenches with financially stressed homeowners every day, it never for a second feels to me like business-as-usual.
The prospect of losing ones home is right up there among the major sources of grief, and often, it goes hand in hand with other tragic setbacks such as the loss of a job, a divorce, death of a loved one, mounting medical bills or skyrocketing … (3 comments)

foreclosure: Let's explore the difference in a Short Sale vs. Foreclosure - 09/21/11 08:56 AM
One of the most frequently ask questions is, "What is the difference between a foreclosure and a short sale?".   Let's take a few minutes to explore this question. 
Foreclosure:  A homeowner who loses a home to foreclosure is ineligible for a Fannie Mae-backed mortgage for a period up to 7 years with some exceptions based on extenuating circumstances. See: efanniemae.co
Short Sale:A homeowner who successfully negotiates and closes a short sale will be eligible for a Fannie Mae-backed mortgage within 2 years.
Foreclosure: An investor who loses a home to foreclosure is ineligible for a Fannie Mae backed mortgage … (0 comments)

foreclosure: Credit Scores in Foreclosure and Short Sales - 09/21/11 08:56 AM
We are reviewing the differnece between a foreclosure and short sale for the homeowner.   Let's review what happens with a credit score.
Credit Score:
Foreclosure:  Score may be lowered anywhere from 250 to 300 points.  Typically will affect score for over 3 years.
Short Sale: Only lape payments on mortgage will show, and after sale, mortgage is normally reported as "paid as agreed", "paid as negotiated, " or "settled".  Ths can lower the score as little as 50 points if all other payments are being made.  A short sale's effect can be as brief as 12 to 18 months.  
Credit … (0 comments)

foreclosure: Informative online report details foreclosure alternatives for homeowners facing unaffordable mortgage payments - 09/21/11 08:55 AM
Handling the Stress of an Unaffordable Mortgage Payment
Whenever I research the latest foreclosure and distressed property statistics, the sheer number of Americans facing the stress of losing their homes amazes me.  It is my goal to help as many homeowners I can either stay in their homes or relieve the burden of their mortgages. Knowing that there are so many that need my help is a driving force for me to continue doing what I do.
In fact, I just released another report that I’ve made available on my website today. It explains the CDPE designation and lists 10 options … (0 comments)

foreclosure: Renewed Trust for Tough Times - 09/07/11 11:29 AM
Does it feel like trust is one of the major casualties of the economic meltdown of 2008 – followed by the “Great Recession,” the “Jobless Recovery” and now the threat of a “Double Dip Recession?”
Weren’t we assured that home values were destined to go up and up and up?
There have been lots of promises that help is on the way—and lots of warnings of scams and schemes that have only served to confuse the matter. So where’s a homeowner who’s underwater or overleveraged to turn?
Here’s the bottom line: the choices that homeowners make when they feel they are … (0 comments)