Once you are ready to move forward, call our office for a free list of "Fixer Uppers" in your area. 310-482-2035 or www.CallToni.com
With rising utility costs and overall living expenses, people everywhere are looking for creative ideas on how to reduce spending. One of these major areas that can have a significant impact on your bottom line long-term is with heating, cooling and electric bills.
Therefore, it is important to take strides whenever possible to help alleviate this financial burden. We have devised a checklist of 6 items for you to review and determine where you can start cutting back expenses and improving efficiency in your home:
1. Maintain your furnace and air conditioning units:
this is one area that homeowners can tend to disregard. Yet, just like conducting routine repairs on your automobiles; likewise, it is just important to keep up with these items as well. And it’s only necessary once per year!
In fact, the amount of money you can save in the long run by avoiding more significant maintenance hassles or losing a unit well before it’s time makes this step well worth it. Additionally, you will maintain a higher efficiency and experience cleaner air too.
2. Standby power:
Did you know that many items around your house such as your TV, entertainment system, Wii, computer, microwave, etc. are constantly drawing electricity even when they are not powered on?
In fact, items throughout your house such as these typically can account for approximately 10% of your total energy consumption! Simply by having certain items plugged into a power cord that can be switched off when not in use may have a significant impact.
3. Consider investing in a programmable thermostat:Installing one of these can be fairly inexpensive and is extremely useful for families that are always on the go! Simply set the meter to fluctuate a few degrees during key time frames, and the savings will really start to add up.
4. Decrease your water heater’s temperature: By switching the temperature down to the lowest setting can impact your energy bills from 5-10%. You will still have plenty of hot water and can enjoy some extra cost savings as well. .
5. Change you appliance settings: Many dishwashers, washers, and dryers have advanced settings that could also be increasing your utility bills. Consider turning off those extra bells and whistles such as the heated dry, automatic sensor settings, or wrinkle shield. Also, you can wash with cold water and only do larger loads when necessary.
6. Dimmer switches and motion detectors: Another tip is to replace your current fixtures or switches with these energy efficient alternatives. You will be able to consume far less energy and your family will only use light when necessary. Even if you do not install these items, get in the habit of shutting off the lights in any room that is not occupied..
By following these 6 simple steps, you will begin to save more money and consume fewer resources. There are so many other ways that you can improve energy efficiency as well, so we encourage you to take the time to research what may be beneficial for you. Be sure to bookmark our page for regular updates and other free real estate related tips. Also, please don’t hesitate to refer us to a friend or family member! Thanks for stopping by.
Oh..and by the way. If you know of anyone who needs Free Help with a Loan Modification, tell them to go to www.FreeHelpForHomeowners.com
Or...Call us at 310-482-2035
Fewer things are worse than taking advantage of someone losing their home. This is precisely what mortgage loan modification scams are doing at the worst time in the foreclosure crisis. Perhaps worst of all, most of those targeted are minorities, bringing an even more sinister edge to what’s already a heinous crime.
First you’ll get a call telling you how to renegotiate the terms of your home loan. Often times, you’ll be promised or strongly led to believe you will get a modification of loan terms and a lowered principle. You’ll also be asked to cough up around $3,000 to make it happen.
Telling the modification company you aren’t interested won’t get them to stop–they’ll keep calling, lowering the cost of services and promising more and more. Finally, you give in, pay half what they originally asked for and wait for… nothing.
The loan modification scams work around the idea that there are problems with your original mortgage. The company offers to audit your mortgage.
This is fair enough. Most mortgage audits reveal some problems that aren’t mortgage fraud on the level of the robo signing scandal, but should get some attention. Unfortunately for you, this almost never leads to a reduction in principle or a substantial renegotiation of the terms of your loan.
Sad as it might be, the foreclosure crisis has been a booming industry for less-than-ethical businesses. It seems not a week goes by without hearing about the continued robo signing scandal or a bank foreclosing on a family current with mortgage payments.
The loan modification scams are merely the latest attempt by unscrupulous businesses to turn a profit on people’s misery during the foreclosure crisis.
Many people are not taking being targeted lying down, however.
Jose Chirino, the subject of a Daily Finance article, contacted a non-profit legal aid agency specializing in mortgage law. Such non-profits have begun aiding consumers in their fight against loan modification scams and mortgage fraud.
The robo signing scandal has sent a clear message to consumers: Know your rights and mount a fight. Homeowners wishing to get out of debt during the foreclosure crisis have a number of legitimate debt consolidation and debt management agencies to appeal to.
There are some clear indications of a loan modification scam. Avoid any company that:
Most legitimate loan modification companies are non-profit enterprises who exist for no other purpose than to help consumers like yourself get out of debt. When someone seems more interested in getting their hand in your wallet than helping you deal with mounting debt, contact the Federal Trade Commission.
Those looking for legitimate help with a mortgage should contact the FTC or the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Either can direct you toward reputable services, often at low or no cost.
One in three Americans would be unable to make their mortgage or rent payment beyond one month if they lost their job, according to the results of a national survey taken in mid-September.
Despite being more affluent, the poll found that even those with higher annual household incomes indicate they are not guaranteed to make their next housing payment if they lost their source of income.
Ten percent of survey respondents earning $100K or more a year say they would immediately miss a payment.
The survey was conducted on behalf of a financial consortium comprised of the Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards, Financial Planning Association, Foundation for Financial Planning, and the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
Sixty-one percent of those surveyed said if they were handed a pink slip, they would not be able to continue to make their mortgage or rent payment longer than five months.
Job loss has become the primary driver of mortgage defaults. With the national unemployment rate holding
above 9 percent for five straight months and not expected to drop by any significant measure in the foreseeable future, the state of the labor market is one of the biggest obstacles for struggling homeowners and their lenders.
A number of programs at both the national and state level have been launched to assist unemployed homeowners, but so far the expected results haven’t materialized.
HUD has told DSNews.com that it does not expect to meet the original goal set for the $1 billion Emergency Homeowners’ Loan Program (EHLP) of subsidizing 30,000 unemployed homeowners’ mortgage payments.
The New York Times reports that fewer than 15,000 borrowers are likely to receive EHLP assistance and more than half of the money allotted for the program will go unspent.
An analysis of government records by USA Today shows that a separate federal program which provides money to individual states to assist homeowners who’ve lost their jobs has been slow in ramping up.
Through the Treasury’s Hardest Hit Fund, 18 states were awarded a total of $7.6 billion to develop their own localized programs to counter unemployment and falling home prices in the fight against foreclosure.
USA Today says only about 1 percent of this money has actually been distributed to distressed owners, 16 months after the program was launched.
The news agency found that as of June 30th, 17 states had used the federal funds to help about 7,500 homeowners.
USA Today noted that several states are just now getting their individual programs off the ground and dispersing the money to qualified applicants, and the states have until 2017 to use their allotted funds.
The calls started last November. Speaking in Spanish, a representative from New Century Solutions in Lake Forest, Calif., pitched Jose Chirino to purchase a forensic loan audit. For $2,995, the representative said, an audit could help the San Jose, Calif., homeowner get a much-desired loan modification and principal reduction. Chirino, who works for Santa Clara County, said no, but New Century called again -- and again, and again. After about 20 such calls, Chirino finally agreed and sent $1,500 to start the process in January.
Trustees will process your foreclosure, posting companies handle the posting, legal publication and auctioning. This is not an all inclusive list, but does include many companies with an internet presence. Trustees listed first, Posting companies listed second.
USFN
A network of Trustees and foreclosure attorneys throughout the U.S. Use the member directory to search by state.
ALL AMERICAN FORECLOSURE SERVICE
Specializing in San Luis Obispo County, CA trustee sales and posting.
We are Certified Trustee Sale Officers with years of Experience and can provide service throughout the State of California.
ASSURED LENDER SERVICES
Commercial and residential foreclosures and related services in Arizona, California, Nevada and Idaho.
BEST ALLIANCE FORECLOSURE & LIEN SERVICES
CALIFORNIA DEFAULT SERVICES
We know that a defaulted loan ties up your capital. So, with CDS, we begin processing your foreclosure THE SAME BUSINESS DAY that we get your file, and complete your foreclosure AS FAST AS LEGALLY POSSIBLE, guaranteed.
FCI LENDER SERVICES
FCI has an excellent reputation for processing foreclosures efficiently and professionally.
FIRST AMERICAN FORECLOSURE TRUSTEE SERVICES
First American LoanStar Trustee Services provides a complete suite of foreclosure trustee services to assist with each case and individual client.
INTEGRATED LENDER SERVICES
Integrated Lender Services is the only place to turn for complete, foreclosure and default management services.
PREMIER FINANCIAL ASSOCIATES,INC.
Premier Financial Associates is a full service trustee company established in 1994 to meet the needs of financial institutions as well as Homeowner Associations. We provide foreclosure and lien services in California, Nevada, Arizona, Oregon and Washington.
RELIABLE FORECLOSURE
It's our goal to insure that our clients receive quality information and the best representation possible throughout the foreclosure process.
REGIONAL TRUSTEE SERVICES
Foreclosure, bankruptcy, eviction and post-sale related services in Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, Idaho, Alaska, and Montana.
SBS TRUST DEED NETWORK
SBS Trust Deed Network, a financial services company located in Westlake Village, California, has been providing a complete spectrum of trustee services since it was founded in 1978. SBS provides foreclosure services in California, Arizona, Washington and Nevada.
SEASIDE TRUSTEE, INC.
Seaside Trustee will process foreclosures in Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.
STANDARD TRUST DEED
Some forms and links. Process foreclosures in AZ, CA, NV, OR, WA
WEST COAST POSTING & PUBLISHING
Search by Trustee Sale Number, or find sale sites in California, Nevada and Washington
BECKSTROM POSTING
No searchable database, but they provide personalized services for the Southern California region.
RELIABLE POSTING
Has an online list of trustee sales
RSVP FORECLOSURES
Has an online list of properties scheduled for sale
PRIORITY POSTING
Searchable database of properties scheduled for sale using the Trustee Sale Number
LPS - AGENCY SALES AND POSTING
Searchable database of properties scheduled for sale by date and location
MK CONSULTANTS
The number of homes listed for sale by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and the Federal Housing Administration on Aug. 29, 2011: 89,819
For sale or rent by distressed owner: 248,000 homes. That’s how many residential properties the U.S. government now has in its possession, the result of record numbers of people defaulting on government-backed mortgages. Washington is sitting on nearly a third of the nation’s 800,000 repossessed houses, making the U.S. taxpayer the largest owner of foreclosed properties. With even more homes moving toward default, Fannie Mae (FNMA), Freddie Mac (FMCC), and the Federal Housing Administration are looking for a way to unload them without swamping the already depressed real estate market.
Trouble is, they haven’t figured out how to do that. The government admitted as much in August, when Fannie, Freddie, and FHA issued a joint plea to the public for ideas about how to solve the problem. (Give it your best shot: You have until Sept. 15 to submit ideas.) “They’re stuck,” says Karen Shaw Petrou, managing partner of Federal Financial Analytics, a Washington-based consultant that advises banks and other clients on government policy. “They don’t know what to do.”
Since the 2008 financial collapse, the government has spent billions of dollars trying to extricate borrowers from high-cost loans, aid delinquent homeowners, and stabilize neighborhoods. The results have been disappointing. The Obama Administration’s signature loan-modification program has helped about 657,000 homeowners—far short of its goal of 3 to 4 million. The program was a victim of its complexity and its inability to cope with overwhelming demand. Many families hit hardest by the housing downturn are concentrated in states that are having the most difficulty recovering from the recession, including Florida, Ohio, and Nevada.
The government’s call for ideas is a sign it is deluged with repossessions, commonly known as real-estate-owned properties or REO. “It’s almost like having the captain of the Titanic go on the public address system and say, ‘Does anybody have an idea?’” says Mark Wiseman, a former director of Cleveland’s foreclosure-prevention program. “It’s not a confidence builder.”
Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and FHA made progress in the first half of this year, reducing their combined backlog from 295,000 single-family homes in December to about 248,000 in June, according to the Housing and Urban Development Dept. The nation’s total number of repossessions also fell during that period, from nearly 981,000 to about 817,500. The government’s share has remained steady at about 30 percent. In coming months, however, as lenders and the courts clear up the “robo-signing” scandal that slowed new disclosures, the number of government-owned properties will likely grow. More than a fifth of the 3.65 million homes for sale at the end of July were foreclosures, according to RealtyTrac, a housing data provider.
“It isn’t necessarily our preference that FHA is going to itself continue to hold these properties,” says FHA Acting Commissioner Carol Galante. “We want to move homes through the system so we can recover.” The agency has to be careful as it goes, she says. “If you’re putting too much through that system you are helping to drive down prices.” That’s especially true in regions congested with government properties.
Shielding the market from a flood of government homes might be good for property values and the economy. It’s not such a great deal for taxpayers, who bear the costs when government-guaranteed loans go bad and who pay for maintenance on vacant homes the feds take over. One idea the Administration is exploring: allowing Fannie, Freddie, and FHA to keep an ownership stake in the properties by converting them to rentals in partnership with private investors. When the market recovers, the government would sell the homes for more than they could get now and not risk glutting the market. Structured properly, such joint ventures could reduce the impact of foreclosures on struggling neighborhoods.
It’s not at all clear whether that would work on a large scale. The government would have to spend money to bring the rental properties—many of them old and dilapidated—to code; pay still more to insure the rentals; and build a bureaucracy to manage and maintain them. Even if they do all that, there might not be people willing to move in. In parts of Cleveland and Detroit, for example, some houses are stripped and vandalized the minute they’re vacant. “Some of the neighborhoods, you can’t move into,’’ says Wiseman. “There are so many empty houses, it’s just not safe.”
In places like that, it’s sometimes difficult to convince people to stay in their houses. Freddie Mac allows occupants of foreclosed homes to remain on a month-to-month lease until the house is sold. Few do, says spokesman Brad German. “People prefer to take cash for keys and move on.”
The bottom line: The government, struggling to figure out what to do with 248,000 foreclosed homes it took over, has issued a plea to the public for ideas.
Woellert is a reporter for Bloomberg News. Benson is a reporter for Bloomberg News.
Foreclosure starts soared during the month of August in states along the country’s western coast, reversing what had been a declining trend over the past several months, according to the tracking firm ForeclosureRadar.
The California-based company keeps close tabs on foreclosure activity in the states of Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington. ForeclosureRadar recorded a spike in the first notice filed in the foreclosure process across its five-state coverage area last month.
ForeclosureRadar says the jump appears to have been primarily driven by Bank of America and its related entities, which initiated 116 percent more foreclosures in August than in July. Wells Fargo and U.S. Bank also saw increases in foreclosure start filings, while filings by JPMorgan Chase and Citibank were essentially flat.
“Bank of America appears to be primarily responsible for the surge in foreclosure starts this month,” said Sean O’Toole, founder and CEO of ForeclosureRadar.
“Since their average time to foreclose has recently increased to more than a year, it is unclear that these foreclosure starts will lead to an increase in foreclosure sales anytime soon,” O’Toole noted.
Foreclosure sales also increased throughout most of ForeclosureRadar’s coverage area in August.
Investors bought more properties on the courthouse steps in August than in July everywhere except in Washington, while the number of properties taken back by the bank jumped significantly in Oregon and also rose in California and Nevada.
In Arizona, ForeclosureRadar found that notice of trustee sale filings jumped 15 percent between July and August, reversing a four-month downward trend.
Foreclosed properties sold back to the bank as REO, however, continued a five-month decline, with an 8.0 percent drop from July to August, and a 42.8 percent drop
compared to this time last year. Arizona investors were more active in August, with properties sold to third parties up 4.9 percent month-over-month and up 38.7 percent year-over-year.
California’s notice of default filings increased 69.5 percent to their highest level in 12 months. Notices of trustee sale were up more moderately, rising 6.0 percent month-over-month.
Activity on California courthouse steps increased in August. Properties returned to the bank as REO increased 12.3 percent from the prior month, while properties sold to third parties rose 9.9 percent. Time-to-foreclose in the Golden State increased to 333 days in August, which is 49 days longer than a year ago.
Notices of default in Nevada jumped 44.2 percent month-over-month, but fell 13.6 percent year-over-year. Notice of trustee sale filings slipped for the fifth consecutive month, dropping 9.9 percent from July.
Investor activity increased in August, with 19.8 percent more foreclosed properties sold to third parties in August than in July. Foreclosure cancellations declined for the fourth straight month, dropping 9.0 percent in August to the lowest level in 15 months.
Time-to-foreclose in Nevada jumped 14.3 percent in August when compared to July’s timeline, reaching a new record of 368 days. The time to resell a foreclosed home increased month-over-month for both banks and third-party investors, to 179 days and 108 days, respectively.
In Oregon notices of default were up in August over July by 35.6 percent, but filing activity remains 45.8 percent below this time last year.
Properties returned to the bank rose dramatically in the state, up 243.3 percent month-over-month, as Recontrust, a subsidiary of Bank of America, began to clear the 2,800 foreclosures it started in April.
Properties sold to third-party investors were up as well, 46.0 percent month-over-month and 17.4 percent year-over-year. The time-to-foreclose in Oregon dropped in August for the second month in a row, down 9 days from July to 150 days.
Washington saw a 3.4 percent increase in notice of trustee sale filings in August from July, which reversed four months of consecutive declines.
Activity on the courthouse steps slowed as foreclosures sold back to banks dropped 29.4 percent month-over month, and those sold to third-party investors were down 33.3 percent.
Source: DSNews
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