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.