I have referred several homeowners to non-profit agencies such as NJ211 and 888-995-HOPE as a way to seek any available assistance.  Unfortunately, they have not been able to secure relief.  One individual, in particular, was not able to receive any help.  Instead he was offered such advice as to acquire a second job and tell his daughter to drop out of college and get a job to help him with his mortgage.  I was very surprised, especially about the latter comment.  It made me wonder how many people, other than CEO's and associated partners, have actually benefited from the government bail-out. Have you received or know of someone who has received assistance from any government entity with regards to your home?  I'd really like to hear about people's experience and what assistance has been provided. ...read more

Whether you believe it to be only half-hearted or with full vigor, it seems that Uncle Sam has made some efforts to try to help the American Homeowner.  One of the more recent programs, called HOPE for Homeowners, or H4H, is one such endeavor.  Backed by FHA and HUD, the program hopes to entice lenders to allow borrowers in trouble to refinance their loans for somewhere between 90% and 96.5% of current appraised value.  As a result, the lender would be asked to accept the loss associated with the declining property values.  The success of such programs is heavily dependent on the voluntary participation of lenders.  The FHA website provides a list of lenders who presently participate in this program. (http://portal.hud.gov/portal/page?_pageid=73,7601299&_dad=portal&_schema=PORTAL)   I'd like to know if anyone has successfully been able to have their mortgage adjusted down as this program is believed to allow.  If so, how did it work out for you and what is your opinion of it? ...read more

I'm sure that most people are familiar with the events that have affected and created a real estate mess for many homeowners.  An unfortunate situation for those amidst the mess while fortunate for those in a position to benefit from the opportunities it creates.  However, recently two of my female friends have encountered ordeals when trying to purchase their first homes.  Not necessarily taking advantage of the available foreclosure market, just trying to buy their first home.  One of them had to endure the emotional roller-coaster ride of a deal that was intermittently on and off again.  One minute, she felt jubilation as everything seemed to be on course, only to later feel let down as things seemed headed toward no deal.  As she was informed of all the problems and obstacles in her way, she felt like crying thinking how elusive homeownership seems to be for her and her family. Still working on the home purchase, she feels drained and frustrated about the whole thing. My other friend bought a brand-new house as a pre-construction deal. She too is frustrated with the events that still prevent her from moving into her new home. She’s now months past the time that she thought she would be in her home. She doesn’t understand how contractors, who do this for a living, can have their septic work fail 5 times before finally passing. Or how they can do such shotty work that when the water is turned on, her kitchen is flooded from leaky plumbing. As they relay their stories of woe, I can see the anger and frustration across their faces as they ask “Is it because I’m a single mom? … Is it because I’m a woman?” I’m sure we’ve all heard, at one time or another, about women being taken advantage of when they seek to service their cars. Or how they can be misled when buying a new car. It makes me wonder if it is a gender thing or just a bad coincidence. Are you a woman, or know of a woman, who seemed to have had a bad deal simply because of being a woman? What did you do about it? Or what do you wished you could’ve done? ...read more