Despite all of the incentives that banks seemingly have to work with foreclosure victims to modify loans, most attempts at loss mitigation are still a huge waste of time for homeowners, lenders, and third parties representing them. This is due to a number of factors, with both banks and borrowers having roles in the failure to work out solutions to foreclosure and to keep on top of payment plans over the long term.
One reason that loss mitigation attempts often fail is that it is a very labor-intensive process. Getting a mortgage modification approved by a bank or servicing company can take many more hours than expected, as lenders are currently swamped with foreclosures and calls asking for assistance. If homeowners are not willing to put in the necessary work or pay for someone to do it for them, loss mitigation attempts often fail.
Unfortunately, much of the work to modify a loan is simply waiting for the lender to perform one task or another. It is not uncommon to spend two to three hours on hold, simply waiting for the loss mitigation representative to pick up to confirm a fax or begin negotiating. Voicemails and emails, of course, are rarely answered, and phone calls from homeowners or their representatives may be disconnected numerous times.
The staff of the servicing companies and lenders are typically either incompetent or belligerent when working with homeowners, and few productive results are gained from speaking with them. Almost no one who has had to wait on hold for an hour and then speak with a loss mitigation representative who is unable to confirm a fax was received is impressed with the quality of service offered to homeowners facing foreclosure.
But also, the lack of service from the loss mitigation department of a lender may reflect the lack of specific guidelines for modifying loans. This is a responsibility of the investors and holders of the mortgages, but the securitization of huge numbers of home loans over the past decade has made it almost impossible to know for sure who owns a particular mortgage, let alone how the owners would want it modified.
Of course, this is not to say that it is impossible to modify a mortgage or negotiate an alternative to foreclosure, but homeowners should be aware of just how much work is involved and how little help the servicing companies are when negotiating. Working out a solution to stop foreclosure can often be more difficult than applying for the mortgage in the first place.
Author Resource:-
Nick writes articles aimed at helping homeowners understand how various options to prevent foreclosure operate, and which may be most appropriate for their circumstances. He writes about such topics as how to hire the right personal bankruptcy lawyer, the possibilities of a deficiency judgment after foreclosure, how to postpone a sheriff auction, and more. Visit his site if you need assistance in understanding how bankruptcy and foreclosure work, and what other solutions you should consider when the mortgage company is attempting to steal your property: http://www.mypersonalbankruptcylawyer.com/
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