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Getting HUD To Help Stop Charging Fees To Extend Closings When It's NOT The Buyer's Fault

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Real Estate Agent with RE/MAX Broker, RE/MAX 1999033519

Getting HUD To Help Stop Charging Fees To Extend Closings When It's NOT The Buyer's Fault!

Most everyone knows that HUD changed their way of closing homes this past year.  Now there are several companies that are servicing foreclosures for HUD....one of these servicing companies is charging to extend contracts.Stop Holding Buyers responsible

My office has a large number of HUD foreclosures waiting to be closed.  We have qualifed buyers (some cash buyers) that, due to no fault of the buyers, are waiting for title work to be completed through Northwest Title. 

With the large number of foreclosures, needless to say Northwest Title is behind and a number of the contracts to be extended.

This is where one of these service companies comes in.  They are charging a fee.....for any reason......to grant an extension to close......regardless of whether it's the fault of the title company.  This is NOT a HUD approved fee, it a fee that this company says they need to extend the closing date.  Oh, and they don't care who pays it.  Doesn't have to be the buyer.  It can be the real estate agent.  Or it can be a family member......THEY DON'T CARE!

Here's my problem.  Many of these homes have first time home buyers that are anxiously waiting to move into their first home.  They have saved money for over a year for their down payments.  They must keep a certain amount of money in the bank in order to qualify and close on these homes.  They have not put aside funds to extend the closing in order to keep Home Telos from putting their house back on the market, due to an overload of title work. 

We have now contacted a high ranking officer inside HUD and was told the fees that this company is charging is totally unacceptable!  We should find out next week if this is being charged across the country or if it is just in our area.

The main objective of HUD is to offer foreclosures to buyers that could initially not been approved to buy and get home ownership back on track in the United States of America.  For these companies working on behalf of HUD, penalizing them with fees that are not necessary is absolutely rediculous!  However, with HUD on our side, we hope to stop this unnecessary anguish for these buyers.

STAY TUNED!

 

Kathy Toth
Ann Arbor Market Center Keller Williams - Ann Arbor, MI
Ann Arbor Real Estate Experts - Kathy Toth Team

Another eample to government at work - at our service

Apr 17, 2011 12:07 PM
Adam R. Cohn
STANDARD MORTGAGE CO. - Delray Beach, FL
We actually get mortgages closed FAST!

Its amazing what the government does. IT BS!

Have a great night.

Adam R. Cohn

Apr 17, 2011 12:21 PM
Kay Van Kampen
RE/MAX Broker, RE/MAX - Springfield, MO
Realtor®, Springfield Mo Real Estate

Kathy, if we can stop these ridiculous charges before any other client loses their offer or pays, we will have succeeded.

Apr 17, 2011 01:21 PM
Kay Van Kampen
RE/MAX Broker, RE/MAX - Springfield, MO
Realtor®, Springfield Mo Real Estate

Adam, I agree.  But HUD did not know about this until we called last week.  With the help of our State Representative's office and HUD, we'll get to the bottom of it.

Apr 17, 2011 01:24 PM
Doug Rogers
RE/MAX Coastal Properties - Destin, FL
Your Real Estate Resource!

I have waited 60 days to close HUD deals before. Cash buyer, and zero inspections. Too bad the government dingbats are not on commission.

Apr 17, 2011 02:01 PM
Kay Van Kampen
RE/MAX Broker, RE/MAX - Springfield, MO
Realtor®, Springfield Mo Real Estate

Doug, this seems to be the trend right now.  But charging buyers to keep their contracts for fault of the title company is unacceptable.

Apr 17, 2011 02:58 PM
Matt Grohe
RE/MAX Concepts - Des Moines, IA
Serving the metro since 2003

Kay: We had some extensions but we did have to pay. HUD couldn't give clear title.

Apr 17, 2011 04:14 PM
Bill Gassett
RE/MAX Executive Realty - Hopkinton, MA
Metrowest Massachusetts Real Estate

Curious why you would make this members only Kay? If you want to get them to stop you should make it public and in fact get an email if you can to their public relations department and forward it along:)

Apr 18, 2011 01:03 AM
Kay Van Kampen
RE/MAX Broker, RE/MAX - Springfield, MO
Realtor®, Springfield Mo Real Estate

Matt, that's just not right.  If it's the fault of HUD or the title company, paying should not be an option.  Maybe they should be giving the buyer a credit.  I know of one real estate agent paying the motel bill of a single mother because she gave her notice on her apartment, her loan is ready to go, but the title work is not complete.  This should not be happening........however, it would have been to her advantage to pay the extra month's rent.

Apr 18, 2011 01:48 AM
Kay Van Kampen
RE/MAX Broker, RE/MAX - Springfield, MO
Realtor®, Springfield Mo Real Estate

Bill, I changed it.  We are working with one of the top officers right now and hope to have answers today.

Apr 18, 2011 01:53 AM
Bill Gassett
RE/MAX Executive Realty - Hopkinton, MA
Metrowest Massachusetts Real Estate

Kay good luck I hope it all works out for you. There is no need to what they are doing other than greed!

Apr 21, 2011 12:24 AM
Kay Van Kampen
RE/MAX Broker, RE/MAX - Springfield, MO
Realtor®, Springfield Mo Real Estate

Bill, we are making progress.  Several of the contracts we have with Hud are now clear to close.  Northwest Title called and told us that they were waiving the 8 days to close and we're closing one on Monday.  Still, the fee to charge to extend has not been resolved.  We'll keep going until this is dismissed.

The worst thing that happens is some of these buyers have saved for up to a year to put a down payment on a home.  Additional fees are not budgeted.

Apr 21, 2011 01:28 AM
Anonymous
amanda

i am still waiting to get my signed contract back from hud and its been a month and a half....do you know when they are going to get a new closing company and get back on the ball?

Jun 08, 2011 04:55 AM
#13
Kay Van Kampen
RE/MAX Broker, RE/MAX - Springfield, MO
Realtor®, Springfield Mo Real Estate

No Idea.....but they really need to get their act together.

Jun 08, 2011 01:31 PM
Anonymous
kim

In ct, we have been good to close on ours and huds side for 2 months and have after calling and emailing over and over , just have been told that hud has no closing agents. How can hud get into a contract knowing they can not fulfill their end? This is my first home. We are surrounded buy everyone just shrugging their shoulders and saying " I dont know" " never encountered this before". I'm sick to death of the main response  " gee, sucks to be you". Why has no one gone to the news about all this.

Jun 15, 2011 04:32 AM
#15
Kay Van Kampen
RE/MAX Broker, RE/MAX - Springfield, MO
Realtor®, Springfield Mo Real Estate

Kim, I would have my agent put in a major complaint to fannie mae.  That's ridiculous to way for 2 months to close on that property.

Jun 15, 2011 01:54 PM
Joe Jackson
Keller Williams Capital Partners Realty - Columbus, OH
Clintonville and Central Ohio Real Estate Expert

GEE thank s HUD that really motivates me to see HUS repo's

Oct 23, 2011 12:42 PM
Anonymous
NORTHWEST TITLE EMPLOYEE

THIS COMPANY IS NOT PAYING THEIR EMPLOYEES....CHECK WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR. 

Feb 14, 2012 02:47 PM
#18