In the midst of a year-long battle to save their home of 18 years from foreclosure, the Baker family of Windham, Ohio made a pact: if they saved their home, they would plant a cherry blossom tree in the front yard. After Litton Loan Servicing first rejected a modification request and then a short sale offer from American Homeowner Preservation because it allowed the family to stay in their home with a five-year affordable lease and favorable option to repurchase, weeds were more likely to sprout instead of a cherry blossom. However, five days prior to the sheriff’s sale, Reuters’ financial blogger Felix Salmon publicized the Bakers’ plight, scolding Litton and their parent Goldman Sachs for opting to lose money by foreclosing and evicting the family rather than recovering more by appro... 07/21/2010