In September/2009 I wrote a blog titled "Is The FDIC Killing IndyMac OneWest Bank Short Sales & Loan Modifications?". In February/2010, the folks at TBWS used this blog to create a video that ending up going "viral". If you watch the video, you will see that all of the numbers and the explanation of the FDIC loss share program were taken directly from my original blog post. For those of you that are not familiar with the video, at last count it had received over 1.3 million views on YouTube, and even caused the FDIC to issue an official press release debunking the video.
In an attempt to quash the outrage that the video created with Americans across the country, the FDIC not only came out with an official press release, but also released their own YouTube video titled "Loss Sharing Explained" in June/2010. The video attempts to paint the loss share agreements (which they now have with 167 banks) as a benefit to the FDIC. What the video fails to address is the total lack of oversight, and how lenders are abusing the program, and in turn, forcing more homeowners into foreclosure everyday. No matter how the FDIC wants to spin this, the fact remains the same... When a lender can make more money by foreclosing on a homeowner than they can by approving a loan modification or short sale, they will choose foreclosure.
Two weeks ago, I received a call from a woman in South Carolina who had just finished reading my FDIC IndyMac OneWest blog. She had just been turned down for a loan modification from OneWest Bank under the HAMP Program. According to her, they turned her down without even receiving the required documents, and told her that the reason for their denial was that the investor that owned the loan does not participate in HAMP. When she asked who the investor was, she was told that their "policy" doesn't allow them to disclose who owns the loan.
Needless to say, she was furious. I explained to her that without consequences, banks can do whatever they want. And, without transparency, they can tell borrowers whatever they want. The last thing that loan servicing entities like OneWest Bank want is homeowners calling their investors, verifying what the servicing companies are telling them.
In addition, those lenders who are benefiting from an FDIC loss share agreement DO NOT want borrowers to know if they own the loan. By telling borrowers that their "policy" does not allow them to disclose the owner of the loan, they can hide the fact that they in fact own it.
After spending over an hour on the phone with my friend from South Carolina, she came up with a great suggestion. She suggested that I produce a video that explains the FDIC loss share program, and how it affects homeowners who are trying to short sell their home or get a loan modification. Hence, the reason for this blog post today.
The video explains exactly what happened (in a "real-life" transaction) with one of my clients that I represented on a short sale in September/2009. The numbers are the actual numbers that I used to remind OneWest of the profits they stood to make from the FDIC loss share program. When faced with these numbers, they immediately gave up on their demand for a $75,000 promissory note from my client, and approved the short sale. Since writing this FDIC OneWest IndyMac blog in September/2009, I know of at least a dozen other agents across the country that have used this same argument with OneWest Bank, and were successful in closing their short sale deals.
The point of this video is not to bash OneWest Bank. What I hope and pray is that someone in Washington will see it and actually decide that "enough is enough".
I would ask you to PLEASE share this video with everyone you know. If it can get out to enough people, it might just end up on the computer of someone who will actually do something to stop this madness.
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Bob Hertzog
Summit Home Consultants
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Copyright © By Bob Hertzog 2010 *Making Sense of The Mortgage Crisis-How The FDIC Loss Share Program Is Hurting Homeowners*
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