It May Be Time to Think About Refinancing Your Mortgage (Again)

House made of dollar bills

Due to shifts in global bond markets, the average interest rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was 3.49 percent on Monday, which is down from 4.2 percent a year ago. Therefore, it’s a good time to check the rate on your home mortgage because you might be able to save money from refinancing.

According to The New York Times, mortgage rates could even fall further in the upcoming weeks as banks begin to pass more of the savings from low rates in the bond market through to customers. Since refinancing makes sense when rates have fallen by a full percentage point, people who took out loans before 2010 or at the prevailing rates in 2013 and 2014 might see favorable economics for refinancing. Additionally, lower rates make it a good time for people to refinance if they want a different type of mortgage. In addition to talking with a mortgage broker or a banker, you can use this link to figure out whether refinancing might make sense in your situation. Unfortunately, as has always been the case, there is no way to know whether rates will pop back up or continue to drop.

Loan Modification Jury Trial Against Well Fargo

I just wrapped up a jury trial in New Jersey Federal Court against Wells Fargo. The litigation was lengthy and complicated and is hard to summarize in a blog.   It was settled during closing arguments after A LOT of time and energy went into it—Wells Fargo, as usual, was represented by Reed Smith.   In 2009, my clients were current with their mortgage, but asked Wells for a refinance.  Instead they were pushed into applying for a loan modification so long as they paid an up-front fee of $2,415.  One more thing—Wells said that they’d have to be delinquent in their mortgage to qualify (I’ve heard the same thing from many of my clients).  My clients thought that sounded strange, but followed Wells’ representatives instructions. They paid the $2,415 application fee and stopped paying their loan.

Wells also told them, and then wrote to them, that the fee would be returned to them if the loan modification was denied.  Which it was a few months later—but Wells never returned the money.  Wells then confused my clients’ paperwork with others, but told my clients that they’d keep trying to get them a loan mod.  While this was happening, Wells filed a foreclosure lawsuit against my clients, but didn’t even notify them of that important event until 2 months later.  Wells eventually denied the loan modification, and then took a foreclosure judgment.  Wells was lining the home up for Sheriff Sale when my clients retained me.  I got Wells to hold up on the Sheriff Sale, and then I filed the federal court action for NJ Consumer Fraud for 1) not returning the $2,415 and 2) for foreclosing when they should’ve been working with my clients to modify their loan.

The end result was that Wells and my clients agreed to a modification and Wells agreed to pay a confidential sum of money to settle the case.

Avoid Foreclosure by Modifying Your Mortgage

When you hire us to help you with a loan modification, we will become your voice in all dealings with your lender. If we are unable to immediately get the process moving with loan or bank officers, we will work directly with attorneys for the bank to get the modification process moving forward. We have a comprehensive understanding of the programs available to help you refinance or restructure your loan and avoid foreclosure. We will carefully evaluate your circumstances to determine what programs you qualify for, and we will explain your options as well as the benefits and consequences of different strategies.

Contact Our Office

To set up an appointment, call our foreclosure hotline at 855-289-1660 or contact us online. Your first consultation is free of charge. Evening and weekend meetings can be arranged upon request. We will travel to your home if necessary to meet with you.

 

Homeownership Obstacles

There are many obstacles that stand in the road to homeownership. Prospective buyers need to take many preventative measures to ensure their deal. A simple precaution a buyer can take is evaluating all financial information with their lender. Any surprises could disrupt the lending process. Another step to take would be not to make any major purchases when the deal is being closed. This is because lenders can recheck the buyers credit history right before closing, and any new credit obligations may cause for concern.

In today’s competitive market, buyers must obtain more than just pre-approval, but also obtain a loan commitment. A loan commitment is a guarantee that the needed money will be made available to the buyer. This commitment can help ensure the buyers success in this competitive house market.

Contact Shaffer & Gaier – Protecting Homeowner Rights

The law firm of Shaffer & Gaier protects the rights of those who are facing foreclosure or seeking mortgage modifications in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. To set up a free initial consultation, contact our office online or call our foreclosure hotline at 855-289-1660. Or call our office location in Philadelphia at 215-751-0100, or in New Jersey at 856-429-0970.

SoFi and Online Mortgage Lending

SoFi – How Millennial Usage of Online Mortgage Lending is Changing the Home Lending Landscape

A young couple each in their early 30’s found themselves buying a house outside of San Francisco. Being first time buyers, they searched for sources of financing on the Internet. Online they found a lender called social finance (SoFi). They received pre-qualification in 15 minutes and then got the documents for pre-approval and submitted a formal offer within a week. Because of SoFi’s simplicity, they were able to easily close on their new home.

Large groups of millennials are changing the mortgage industry because more and more lenders are using technology that enables borrowers to submit documentation online. This allows more non-bank start a blenders to compete in the mortgage industry and it also gets mortgage brokers out of the mix (who many blame on the crisis of the last decade) . Online lenders like SoFi are so appealing to millennials because of their online tools and fast closing times. Borrowers feel much more in control of their financial status due to the DIY system provided by online lenders. This freedom is what banks are unable to match.

Contact Shaffer & Gaier – Protecting Homeowner Rights

The law firm of Shaffer & Gaier protects the rights of those who are facing foreclosure or seeking mortgage modifications in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. To set up a free initial consultation, contact our office online or call our foreclosure hotline at 855-289-1660. Or call our office location in Philadelphia at 215-751-0100, or in New Jersey at 856-429-0970.

The Home Affordable Modification Program’s Paltry Lifeline

A Slack Lifeline for Drowning Homeowners

JULY 31, 2015 By GRETCHEN MORGENSON

“After Lucy Circe became disabled and could no longer work, she applied to Bank of America for a mortgage loan modification on her Vermont home. Over more than two years, starting in 2012, the bank repeatedly requested copies of documents that had already been provided, asked for proof that she was no longer married to a man she did not even know, and made other errors, like asking why Ms. Circe had indicated that she didn’t want to keep her property when she had actually told the bank she did….” READ MORE HERE.

Contact an Aggressive Foreclosure Defense Lawyer at Shaffer & Gaier Today

We provide a free initial consultation to anyone with concerns about foreclosure or who is involved in foreclosure proceedings. To schedule an appointment, call our foreclosure hotline at 855-289-1660 or contact us online. Evening and weekend meetings can be arranged upon request. We will travel to your home if necessary to meet with you.

U.S. Supreme Court Finds in Favor of Homeowners

In 2007, a couple from Minnesota, Larry and Cheryl Jesinoski, refinanced their mortgage with Countrywide. Exactly three years later the Jesinoskis tried to rescind the loan by writing a letter to Bank of America Home loans, which purchased Countrywide during the housing crisis. This meant that Larry and Cheryl, through the Truth in Lending Act, had the right to cancel their mortgage as long as they did so within three years after the transaction was completed.

Yet, Bank of America tried to block the rescission and the Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit ruled in favor of the bank, stating that the borrower must not only give notice but also file a lawsuit within three years. However, on Tuesday Jan 13, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the couple, with Justice Antonin Scalia interpreting the law, stating that it without a doubt requires only a notification of rescission within three years and not litigation. Please note that when a loan is rescinded, however, the homeowners often have to give the mortgage loan funds and fees back to the bank or lender.

Contact Philadelphia Foreclosure & Mortgage Modification
Attorneys Shaffer & Gaier

To set up an appointment, call our foreclosure hotline at 855-289-1660 or contact us online. Your first consultation is free of charge. Evening and weekend meetings can be arranged upon request. We will travel to your home if necessary to meet with you.

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