Pre-Foreclosure (3)

Wells Fargo & Equator - Are We Valued? Not!

Dear Valued Realtor:Please login to https://www.equator.com to complete a task or review a message that has been assigned to you for Short Sale processing. To reply or contact Wells Fargo via email, please log in and go to the Messages section. Thank you for your cooperation.

The message above was sent to me via Equator so that I could complete a task.  I've gotten a ton of messages from Equator from the good folks at Wells Fargo.  They want me to think they actually care about me and my clients.  The truth be told they really don't. 

Tuesday, August 2nd, is Foreclosure Tuesday here in Texas.  Foreclosures happen here on the first Tuesday of every month and only on that day.  So if I can get any of my pending short sales past that date,  I've got it made.  I have been using Equator for years and I'm very familiar with how it works.  All my files are under control with the exception of two.  They are going to be foreclosed on Tuesday despite the fact that they are both under contract with good offers and qualified buyers.   What is the problem?  Both of these files are Wells Fargo loans and the left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing especially when it comes to Equator.    

One of the files is a VA loan and I was instructed to put it in the Equator  system.    I was given 8 tasks to complete and I completed all of them in record time.   At no time did they ask me to put in a 3rd Party Authorization.  Some nameless person using the "System" login was giving me numerous tasks to complete.  I answered their message and replied that, "Yes, we had an offer."  The offer was entered along with the estimated HUD 1, the buyer's prequalification and the buyer's proof of funds to close.  I did my job.   Then, Voila,  they disappeared.  I've had no contact since the 27th.  In fact,  everything I've put into the system has been deleted and says "file missing."   I have emailed every anonymous contact on the file including "Generic Negotiator at Wells Fargo.com"  That address bounces back as non-existant.  

My other  problem file  is a convential loan with Korean owners who do not speak English.  I usually bring a translator with me when we meet to facilitate the language problem.  This file has been in Equator since the 13th of July about the time I was notified that Wells Fargo was using the platform.  I again did what I was told.  The documents have been both faxed and input into Equator.  On the 16th we were instructed to have the Seller call in to discuss HAFA.  That's when this comedy of errors multipled!!!  Despite the fact that my clients already had a denial letter for a loan modification no one seemed willing to accept the fact that they wanted to do a short sale and attempt to preserve their credit history.  I made 2 visits to their home to help get us out of "active" loan modification.  We have all been calling for 2 weeks.  At no time when I was present did Wells Fargo offer to put on their own translator despite being told on every occasion that my clients do not speak English.   We have informed them over and over that the client wants to do a short sale and not a loan modification.  Wells Fargo was asked to pospone the foreclosure and we were told that it wasn't close enough for them to ask for a postponement

During this whole fiasco,  Wells Fargo implemented a "1 person contact"  policy for all their files.  This would make things simpler if we only had to reach 1 person instead of constantly being shuffled from contact to contact and then accidentally disconnected.  I was delighted to get her name and phone number.  I called her and left a message.  She called me back the next morning and asked that I fax all the documents to her, all 98 pages.  I did it,  and again no contact or response.  On Wednesday I called the Wells Fargo Foreclosure department and was told to fax in all the documents again because they couldn't help me delay the foreclosure without having the documents in their system.    They apparently can't see the documents I faxed to my "1 person contact"  I again asked for a postponement on the foreclosure.  I was told that as soon as the documents were in the system  they would request it.   They did request it. 

So here's what happened.  On Friday afternoon at 4:30, I called in to see the postponement had been granted.  I got a nice surprise fromWells Fargo.  The postponement was being denied because the request was within 10 days of the foreclosure.   I pointed out that the documents were in Equator since the 13th,  they had been faxed, refaxed and faxed again.  I was told by some moron in the Foreclosure Department that they couldn't accept the Equator documents.  ....and guess what?   All the documents have now disappeard and each one says "file missing."   I was even told by that someone, that Equator was not what they looked at. 

Wow!!!  So does Wells Fargo value me?  I think not!!!  If they did,  they would respond to repeated phone calls and system emails.  If they did,  they would treat me like I was a valued realtor instead of giving lip service to the subject. 

 

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The Stop Foreclosure Institute recently received a question from a homeowner facing foreclosure. I'll call him Peter to protect his identity.

(Foreclosure is embarrassing and I don't want to put his name out there.) Peter asked, "I am six months behind on my mortgage payments. I just got the tax bill for 2010 in the mail. Should I pay it?"

He continued, "What will happen if I don't pay it? Will my house be auctioned to pay the taxes?"

Discover how other sellers successfully did a short sale and request a free consultation by clicking here.

Here is the answer to Peter's Question. It all depends on what his plans are and how tight he is on money.

Most people in Peter situation fall into one of 3 categories.

Category A. They want to keep their home. They are already working on a loan modification with their lender. They are saving every extra penny possible and maybe even working an extra job.

Category B. They don't want to keep their home. They might be thinking about a short sale or deed-in-lieu of foreclosure.

Category C. Cannot afford to keep their home, but want to stay there as long as possible. Maybe they bought an expensive home and aren't making the big bucks anymore. But, they can afford to rent a smaller, less expensive home.

First a little background on Peter. Peter is in Florida. In Florida, the county cannot auction your home to pay the taxes for at least 2 years. But, usually it is 5-7 years before that actually happens.

This means you have a long window to pay back that tax bill. here is the other thing that often happens. Your lender pays the tax bill. I'm sure you're asking, "Why would the lender pay the tax bill?"

To protect their interest. If the house gets sold at auction, the lender's first mortgage could be wiped out. Lender's have whole departments that do nothing but track property taxes that are due and pay them if necessary. They will pay back taxes and tack it onto what you owe them.

Here is one other caveat: The interest rate on delinquent property taxes in Florida is 10-18%. That can rack up pretty fast.

Here are my answers for how Peter should handle this tax bill.

If he falls into Category A: Pay the tax bill as soon as possible AFTER your loan mod is approved. However, Peter should first attempt to negotiate a successful loan modification with his lender.

Most lenders want a "good faith down payment" to modify a loan. So until the modification goes thru, Peter save all his money for that.

Because if the loan modification is not approved, then Peter will have wasted money paying the taxes. It will be just one less payment for the bank after they foreclose.

If he falls into Categories B or C: Do not pay the tax bill. The lender will end up paying the bill after they foreclose. Or, it will be paid as part of a short sale. Peter will have sold the house, or his lender will have foreclosed on it long before it can be auctioned for unpaid taxes.

Thinking about a short sale? I can help you short sale your property and never pay the bank another penny. Send me an e-mail at bion@bionsellshomes.com. I will contact you for a free consultation.

When we talk, I will explain how the process works in detail. If you prefer, then you can call me at 770-875-4268.

Discover how other sellers successfully completed a short sale and request a free consultation by clicking here.

Thinking about a loan modification? Our Powder Springs Loan Modification Kit has the instructions you will need to get a loan modification approved with your lender. Click here to request a copy.

Thanks for reading this, Bion Grady.

Bion is a Real Estate Agent at Maximum One Realty Greater Atlanta.

Phone: 770-875-4268. bion@bionsellshomes.com.

A Better Solution

View My homes for sale at www.bionsellshomes.com.

Bion Grady specializes in loan modification assistance and short sales in Powder Springs Georgia. Powder Springs Loan Modification Help, Powder Springs Short Sales. Powder Springs Short Sale Realtor Short Sale Realtor. Powder Springs GA Short Sales. Powder Springs Realtor.

Copyright 2010 SFI Marketing Institute, LLC. All Rights Reserved. This is not intended as legal, technical, or tax advice. Please speak with a licensed professional before making any decision. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed as of the date of writing. The views expressed here are Bion Grady's personal views and do not reflect the views of Maximum One Realty Greater Atlanta. This information on Powder Springs Short Sales: We answer a question from a homeowner facing foreclosure is provided as a courtesy to our viewers to help them make informed decisions.
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Many Homeowners Facing Foreclosure as Loan Servicing Guidelines change and this could mean increase in business for those agent that specialize in Short Sales!Take a Look as many homeowners under the Presidents foreclosure -prevention program may be at risk of foreclosure due to the tightening up of guidelines forcing loan Servicers to make sure all paperwork have been turned in the their files. For those that are missing paperwork they wil get a 30 day notice to complety and failure to comply can put them at risk of foreclosure..According to a Treasury Department guideline issued last month, mortgage companies have until January 31 to review all trial modifications that have been modified due to the Home Affordable Program. New guidelines will be issued next week in attempt to get some control over the loan Modification program and the complaints that paperwork is not being handled properly and the broken link of getting the modifications completed on the files for the homeowners.This could be a great opportunity for thiose agents that specialize in Short Sales to gain new business as those homeowners that are not able to provide the necessary documentation are prime candidates for Short sale of their home in lue of Foreclosure.Lookng for Comment........
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