ATS Homeowners, please read.

So with the economy how it is, lately I've been seeing lots of commercials urging struggling home owners to call X law office or Y housing counselor for help and it makes me LIVID. These are essentially scams. They do what they promise, but they rip people off.

I work two jobs, but my main one is at a mortgage company in the department that works with people to modify their loans, get their payments current and avoid forclosure. Weekly I have people call me and tell me they just paid $1500, $2000, even $3000 to a service to have their loan modified. Why does this make me livid? Because we do it for free. The only purpose these "services" serve is to play middleman, and honestly make it more confusing for the homeowner.

Basically all I want out of this post is to make people aware. Do not fall victim to one of these services when you need that $1500 or more to make ends meet.

Call your mortgage company if you're struggling. They have options to help. You don't need some greedy lawyer to keep your home when you've fallen on hard times.

Does anyone have any tips on how to get this sentement widely noticed outside of ATS? I'd like as many homeowners as possible to know, because those commercials are on all the time...

[edit on 16-7-2009 by Heatburger]

S&F for you. I fell for a similar scam regarding my homestead credit when I bought my first house. Anytime ANYONE is claiming to have found money for you or has a way to do something for you, check it out on ripoffreport.com. ALWAYS!

reply to post by rogerstigers


I'm sorry to hear that.

The thing that gets me about these companies is that they really do what they say, but serve only as a middle man. The homeowner themselves could do the exact same thing if they called instead, but they see it on TV and think that's their only option. I just want homeowners to know they can call, and we will work with them at no charge! They don't need to pay a middleman twice the amount of their monthly mortgage to handle the phone calls and documents.

Well, Not all "mortgage" companies are out there "modifying" these loans... to be quite frank, most of them are being jackasses (Wells Fargo is the worst I hear.)

One of my best friends fell behind when the ARM readjusted and Boom! Of course, he took an ARM because he had iffy credit due to a car repo (ex girlfriends car thing) with the promise that after 2 years on the ARM that he could refinance to a fixed rate really easy.

Wells Fargo of course "bargained" with him to front over $3,000 bucks and they would then readjust him into a fixed rate.. so he scraped everything he had and borrowed a k from his mother and payed them..... then they wouldn't answer his phone calls! Finally he got someone to talk to him and was told that his $3,000 bucks came in 2 days to late for them to help him...... So, now they tell him he missed a cut-off date and he is screwed.


Banks are playing freeking games now... you cannot trust any of them.

You know what is particularly galling is that these companies advertise on cable news networks and their ads are meant to imitate news anchors reporting a story. I'm sure many of worried, desperate home-owners have been duped into thinking this was legitimate as it's marketing disguised as news.

I think that any news network that runs these ads should be fined by the FCC. I was watching CNN one Sunday afternoon and that annoying know-it-all - Gerry Willis - was cautioning against falling for these scams and not 10 minutes later the network ran the damn ad.

[edit on 16/7/2009 by kosmicjack]

I work for a large bank and I've read an article about the same stuff. Sort of the same stuff.. People are being victimized by false companies. Some how people get their information, offer to adjust their mortgage and take payment. Then when they get a call from their bank saying they are late or have not received payment, they realize what has happened and the scammer is long gone. This is a real big problem that needs serious attention.

reply to post by infolurker


I get what you're saying and I've heard horror stories about WF too, but my main point here is for people not to buy into these commercials when they charge thousands to achieve what a simple phone call from the mortgagors themselves would.

I hate greedy people the same as the next person, but one has to realize that banks are made up everyday people like me and you as employees. I do everything in my power to help people. other people don't. Hating the image of a bank is one thing, but you can't say the teller at the local bank is evil lying scum.

Could you possibly write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper? Or post this info on websites that discuss money matter to get the word out to people who are reading about finances and mortgages already? Perhaps give talks to local groups? People might be grateful for the info and advice from someone who works in the field. Just the first few things that popped into my head.
I'm a homeowner. I knew about these scam artists before reading your thread but still S&F for you for trying to get this info out there.
~pre

reply to post by etombo


In the 3 years I've worked st the bank, I've only seen an actual false company once. It was a big criminal investigation and everything...she had the whole department rooting for her and we were so happy when she got it all resolved.

But yes. In this economy, good people need to be made aware of shady "opportunistic" scum such as this.

reply to post by preparanoid


I've been contemplating a letter to the editor, and I think I'll write one up tonight, but I'd like the info to get out wider. My town is doing decent mortgage-wise right now and I feel this information needs to get out to as many people as possible. Can you suggest any sites I could post on to get a wider view?

reply to post by infolurker


Wells Fargo is in a position to renegotiate these bad mortgages because they did not take the bad ones into their portfolio to begin with.

reply to post by kosmicjack

It's awful. I think there should be a law against is. Or Obama should do a PSA about calling your lender first or something.

The Making Home Affordable website talks about these scams...now it just needs to go on TV to make sure everyone knows.

Originally posted by Heatburger
reply to post by kosmicjack

 

It's awful. I think there should be a law against is. Or Obama should do a PSA about calling your lender first or something.

The Making Home Affordable website talks about these scams...now it just needs to go on mass media to make sure everyone knows.

I get phone calls EVERY day for this crap. They call all day. I have one more week to go until I can report these phone numbers to the do not call list reports.

I have to turn of my phone to get sleep and it is always a computer that calls! GRRR

reply to post by Heatburger


Heatburger

Try posting this on whatreallyhappened.com I know they have a huge readership. Thanks for the good info! S and F to you!

This is called "The America Way."

Don't research and figure things out for yourself. Let someone "Sell" it to you. Capitalism and Lethargy. This isn't anything new.

Just ask anyone about why building 7 fell on 9/11. Most will tell you it's because a plane hit it. The corporate media sold them the story and they bought it.

Same thing here. We have a lot of new companies adjusting their services to accommodate the reeling economy. They advertise. People don't do their own research and just trust what the TV says.

It's not just the television media either. International magazines constantly adjust the stories that run here int he United States. Could you imagine what would happen if Americans picked up a copy of Newsweek that had an article telling everyone why the U.S. is losing the war in Afghanistan? Jeeze. Someone might actually learn something.

We just can't have that happening. Give people and inch and they'll take a mile. Heck, if people started thinking for themselves they might actually figure out that this whole economic crisis was engineered long ago and that the Federal Reserve is the biggest scam in the history of the world.

This stuff happens a lot more than we wish to admit. The worst part is that people are still not changing. Times are tough and some scumbags are relying on other people's panic to make a quick buck. Don't get me wrong... at least for now, this is the best time to refinance a home. The housing market has tanked for the time being which is just another symptom of a floundered economy, and has helped fuel the current plummet in interest rates. Many people are just "re-buying" there own homes. I have done so and did not have to pay anything extra. In the meantime, I am saving an extra 100 dollars a month. It adds up.

That said, with so many people refinancing these days you should just ask among your friends and family. Some people are getting good deals. Find out who they are working with. Do some shopping around. A home is a big investment. Finally, when thinking about stupid scam commercials (and reality shows, talk shows, and news), we should all just try turning off our television sets. Those boxes are melting our brains.

And they use the money they're raking in on these scams to pay for those same high pressure commercials (that play on our fears.....Al Gore) that got them ripped off in the first place.

Again, proves my point that most lawyers are scumbags and worship only the almighty dollar. My favorite line from Back to the Future 2 was when Doc tells Marty that the justice system moves swift now since they've abolished all lawyers. Sounds like a good plan to me.

Your house is already paid for as soon as you signed using your signature (bond/birth certificate) you paid for it, it's called bill of exchange, i suggest you check out my website it has tools to help you get back your freedom - www.tzmnz.com... and tools to help protect you, Bills of exchange can be used to pay fines, loans, mortgages, bills, credit cards, research it people you will be shocked at how duped you really are and how the illusion is really being played to humanity.

We can't play the game cause a) we are blind to see the enemy, b) we don't know a game is being played, c) we don't know the games rules.............until now.......

Wakey wakey people.......



[edit on 17/7/09 by free_spirit_earth]

reply to post by Heatburger


Your post reminded me of a news story I read last week..

Mortgages modified to help struggling borrowers stay in their homes fail within nine months more than half the time, the report said. About 53 percent of mortgages modified in the first quarter of 2008 were 30 or more days delinquent after six months; 63 percent were in default after a year.

Full story here

These were not the alt A's but prime loans and the reasons was cited as with mounting job loses even at a lowered rate their house was just unaffordable.

I do have one question for you are these loan modifications you make permanent or just a temp thing to last say one, two or three years before going back up?