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Mortgage

CFPB Showcases New York Consumers’ Financial Complaints

Each month the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) publishes a monthly report that explores consumers’ financial complaints, and it usually focuses on one region in the country. For January 2016, the agency chose New York State and the New York metro area, which the CFPB defines as the city along with several zip codes in …

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Home Affordable Modification Program a Dismal Failure

Last year I wrote an article about how to spot loan modification scams. Some credit rehabilitation companies were offering to help people sign up for loan modifications, specifically through the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP). Like most scams, the telltale whiff of wrongdoing was that the companies were asking for upfront fees before they did …

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What Happens to Second Homes in Bankruptcy?

Most of the time, a New York bankruptcy will involve at most only one property, but it’s not unusual for debtors to own more. I’ve touched on the topic of investment properties before, but the topic of second homes or vacation homes is a little different because it’s more personal. So, what happens to them? …

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CFPB Finds Reverse Mortgage Advertisements Confusing and Misleading

A few months back I wrote that it was fair to allow the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to share its two cents about reverse mortgages. It was a rebuttal of sorts to a neutral explanation I had given previously. Recently, the CFPB authored a piece on the subject again, so now it’s a little …

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Two Mortgages, One Lender, One Foreclosure

Elsewhere in the country there have been stories about foreclosure lawsuits filed by lenders against homeowners and … themselves. It sounds like a robo-signed document. What’s going on here? The homeowners owed the same bank two mortgages, and the lender has to sue itself to proceed with the foreclosure. It’s a bizarre—but not uncommon—situation, particularly …

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Supreme Court: No Lien-Stripping Junior Mortgages in Chapter 7

The wait is over for homeowners hoping to strip their underwater junior liens in chapter 7 New York bankruptcy. The U.S. Supreme Court consolidated a pair of cases, Bank of America, N.A. v. Caulkett and Bank of America, N.A. v. Toledo-Cardona, because their facts were largely the same, and it held that the answer was …

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Supreme Court Holds That Denied Chapter 13 Plans Cannot Be Appealed

A few months back I noted that the U.S. Supreme Court was going to hear a case on whether the denial of a chapter 13 repayment plan could be appealed. The justices of the Court may not see eye to eye on many issues, but in this case they unanimously held that the answer is …

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Surrendering Real Estate Might Not Work in Bankruptcy

In New York bankruptcy it’s possible, but not common, for debtors to unsuccessfully surrender their homes or other real estate. They receive their discharges, exit bankruptcy, and find that they still own the property with a mortgage lien still attached to it. How can something so bizarre happen? Answer: Just because you say you want …

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The Risks and Benefits of Renting Out the Underwater Home

When the topic of the underwater house comes up in New York bankruptcy, a few options are regularly (and rightly) listed: short-sales, offering the deed in lieu of foreclosure, staying and paying, foreclosure (the worst option), and bankruptcy. One that doesn’t come up often is moving out and renting the residence. It’s an intriguing idea …

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Factors Affecting a Chapter 7 New York Bankruptcy Timeline

It’s one of the most common—and important—questions New York bankruptcy debtors ask: How long will a chapter 7 bankruptcy take? The answer is there are really two timelines to be aware of: the one between the bankruptcy case being filed and the discharge, and the one from filing until closure. In most cases, the period …

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