Mortgage Modification Mixups

My law partner, Rick Mitchell, and I are disgusted by the false promises and abysmal performance of the nation’s mortgage lenders who claim to be participating in the “Making Homes Affordable” program.  Homeowners were lured into this program with the expectation that they would get an answer within the “modification period” (usually 3-6 months) and [...]

The Tax Man Lienith

After ten years the Internal Revenue Service issued 475% more liens last year than it did in 1999.
A recent CNNMoney story quoted national taxpayer advocate Nina Olson saying, “Taxpayers are being greatly harmed for very little benefit to the government.” In her annual report to Congress, Ms Olson says the IRS must do more to [...]

Who Defaults, and Why?

This month we’ve run a series for distressed homeowners and published NC foreclosure data. To round out our coverage on the topic I want to discuss a paper written by James E. Rogers of the University of Arizona’s College of Law because it runs counter to what people generally believe is happening with people “walking [...]

Subcontractor Squeeze

In this week’s Charlotte Observer story about tough times in the commercial construction sector, we learned that liens filed in Mecklenburg County against general contractors by their subs spiked by about 70% in the last two years.  Experts say they will continue rising.
The article sparked a lively discussion in the “comments” section online.
What’s a [...]

Consumer Debt Headlines 8/09

News on mortgage and auto delinquencies, student loan debt and bankruptcy rates for August, 2009.

Better Business Bureau Alert: Get Home Solutions

As a member of the Better Business Bureau, we review the organization’s activity updates regularly.  If they affect our clients and prospective clients directly, we highlight them on our blog.
What follows is a quote from the BBB on one of the many fraudulent schemes targeting homeowners at risk of foreclosure:
The “we buy houses” concept is [...]

Emerging Trend in Commercial Foreclosures

People tend to stick their heads in the sand and hope for the best. Hoping for the best isn’t a strategy. You can hope for the best while planning for the worst.