Tuesday, 29 November 2011

Modify your loan in Massachusetts: your knowledge base

Are you aware of the 90 day rule in bankruptcy filing? If you are unsure about what it is, then seek the advice of the Bankruptcy Attorneys for clarification.

To help you rectfyiing the financial crunchess it is the right time to know more on loan modification help. First get the loan modification forms. This is important to plan ahead of time and to work on your figures.

Now gather your, W2's, tax returns, income documentation-paycheck stubs, award letters, and bank statements and also keep these handy. It’s now time to get out your monthly and itemize your expenses accurately. Now complete the financial statement by itemizing your household gross income and your monthly expenses.

Try and verify your debt ratio, target payment, disposable income, etc.

This Foreclosure Prevention and Assistance in Massachusetts can be availed within 30-45 days, if you follow the correct means, and if you are persistent and your application is done correctly.

Ttypically as a loan safe solution, the concept – ‘modify your loan in Massachusetts’ helps you in stopping the Massachusetts foreclosure in its track.

To strike the best deal you need to research, because there are a number of shoddy settlement companies which won’t tell you anything upfront they simply don’t make you aware of the whole debt negotiation process and how it works!

It is certainly not advisable to rely on friends, family, or the internet because while some says that the 90 day rule, or preferential rule as it is also called, prohibits the debtor from paying any bills during the time period up to the bankruptcy. On the other hand some thinks that the rule typically means they should not buy anything leading up to the bankruptcy. In fact many are simply unclear as to how it works. For the uninitiated, the 90 day rule allows a trustee in a Chapter 7 bankruptcy to recover payments the debtor made on any one of their debts if the payments were made in the 90 days prior to filing bankruptcy.

As per the Bankruptcy Laws the 90 day or preferential rule is not meant to penalize debtor conduct. This is basically a bankruptcy specific statute and some state laws have pretty clearly mentioned whether a debtor can pick and choose among his creditors which ones to pay and which ones not to pay. By bankruptcy legislative act, payments of more than $600 in the 90 days prior to filing Bankruptcy Foreclosure to one creditor can be looked at. Every trustee in fact has their own rule of thumb about when a preference can and should be recovered this amount would be well over the $600. The point I want to make here is that you need to run anything and everything by a Business Bankruptcy lawyer for clarification to avoid any problems down the road.

There are manifold advantages for filing bankruptcy which is why so many people seek this as an option to their financial situation. Prior deciding on Filing Bankruptcy in Massachusetts you need to take some time to figure out all of the positives and negatives as well as other options. Sit down and have a consultation with an experienced bankruptcy attorney in your area also, keep in mind the main reason for filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy in the first place is to come out debt free.

This content has been taken from: http://www.zimbio.com/Bankruptcy+Service/articles/MLm7TM1djY8/Chapter+7+bankruptcy+90+days+rule?add=True

Sunday, 2 October 2011

Foreclosure Prevention and Assistance in Massachusetts: Yes, it helps


I get several calls each week at the office and on my radio show from people who ask about Loan Modification in Massachusetts and bankruptcy in regard to either lowering their monthly mortgage payments, or saving their home from foreclosure, or for a host of other reasons.  A loan modification and a bankruptcy are apples and oranges, that is to say, they are two completely different options and each can stand alone without the other.

A loan modification is typically a request by a borrower for their lender to change the terms of their loan. This may involve changing all or some of the following: your interest rate, your principal balance, your past due amounts, waive collection costs, late fees, legal fees or auctioneer fees. A loan modification can also change your loan from an adjustable rate to a fixed rate in some instances. But the most important thing to keep in mind about a loan modification is that the decision to grant or not grant a loan modification is entirely up to the bank. The Mortgage Modification in Massachusetts and promissory note that you signed when you bought your real estate or refinanced are the legally binding documents that control your relationship with your lender, unless the lender says otherwise. Because loan modifications are discretionary, you typically have no rights if the bank refuses to give you a loan modification. There are rare cases where you may have right to sue the bank for not giving you a loan modification, but going down that road is long and costly.

So what to do if you want a loan modification? Your bank may have a website where you can fill out their specific loan modification application. Your bank may use a formula to determine your ability to participate in a loan modification and if you are currently past due on your mortgage, that can actually be a benefit when asking your bank to modify your loan. After all, if you are current with your mortgage and paying on time every month, what incentive would your bank have to change the terms of your loan? The reality is that most people who request a loan modification are behind on their mortgage and need the bank to make some changes to their loan in order to make the house more affordable. You will need to gather your financial documents such as tax returns, paystubs or other evidence of income to show your bank that you have money coming in on a regular basis. Also, you should write a hardship letter to explain to the bank what caused you to fall behind with your mortgage payments and that you have resolved those problems and anticipate being able to make your monthly payments if the bank gives you a loan modification. 

While the process of submitting a loan modification is relatively straightforward, the difficulty usually lies in the constant follow up that will be required from you to make sure that the bank has your package and that it is complete. Banks commonly lose paperwork and requests from them for you to resubmit your loan modification package are quite common, so be sure to make legible copies of everything that you send to your lender, in case you need to send it again. It may take anywhere from 3 months to well over a year to get an answer from your bank on whether your modification has been granted. The important thing to remember is that even though your bank is reviewing your loan modification application, they can still pursue their legal right to foreclose on your real estate, that is why some people are confused after confirming with their bank that their loan modification application is complete and awaiting a decision, only to get a letter from their bank’s attorneys advising that they are Foreclosure Prevention and Assistance in Massachusetts proceeding against them. 

Remember that the bank is going to take the necessary steps to protect what is best for the bank, and you should take the necessary steps to protect what is best for you. You should have your own attorney advising you so that your bank will not beat you on some technicality. Your chances of getting what you want drastically increase if you have an experienced lawyer advising you every step of the way, and unfortunately, without a lawyer, you can be left at a great disadvantage and at greater risk for losing your home.

If you are in a bankruptcy, you need to know that the bankruptcy judge has no authority to lower your monthly payment or change the terms of your mortgage or note on your residence, except in a Chapter 13 bankruptcy where the court has the authority to “strip-off” or get rid of your second mortgage or home equity line of credit provided you meet certain requirements. It is possible, however, to ask your lender for a loan modification while you are presently in a bankruptcy. If you are in a bankruptcy, it may be helpful to you to have court oversight and protection, but if you are not in bankruptcy, or do not need to file bankruptcy, then you will have no court protection from your lender and you must be vigilant to make sure that your rights are protected. 

In order to determine if a loan modification or bankruptcy or even a combination of both may be best for you, the best person to evaluate your case is an experienced bankruptcy attorney who will be able to analyze your specific circumstances from all sides and provide you with useful advice.

This content has been taken from: http://massloan.inube.com/blog/737004/loan-modification-in-massachusetts-retain-your-home/