Stop Michigan Foreclosure

Back in 2002, I had a rental house that the tenant had moved out of. We weren’t able to find anyone to rent it to in order to cover the mortgage, so we decided to sell. The problem? Our house wasn’t worth what we owed on it. Yep, even way back in 2002!

We had invested almost all of our savings into repairs and upgrades to the house thinking that would bring in a buyer faster and at a higher price. Boy, were we wrong. Not only did it not bring in any offers, but we were also out of savings and still had that monthly mortgage payment to make. The next thing we knew, we were facing a Michigan foreclosure.

Why am I telling you this story? Well, because had I known that there were other options out there, like a short sale, I could have saved us from the nasty Michigan foreclosure, all of its financial and emotional damage (can you believe they published our name in the newspaper next to everyone else facing foreclosure in the entire county!?!).

I consider myself lucky that I have a career that I love. I help families, just like mine, stop Michigan foreclosures on their houses. I’ve been in those shoes- I know what it feels like to make tons of phone calls to the mortgage company, only to get nowhere. I know what it feels like to have that heavy burden of not knowing your options just sitting on your shoulders. That’s why I’m here – to lift that burden and to help prevent what happened to my family from happening to your family. If you want to discuss your options, please give me a call – I’m here to help.

Emily

We just recorded this short tour of our new office and intruction to our team.  Check it out!

Joel

Hi Everyone! My name is Holly and I just joined the Great Lakes Home Solutions team a little over a week ago. Prior to my time here I worked at a bank for two years and have seen first hand how many people in Michigan are hitting a rough patch right now.

All people are different and therefore their hardships are different as well. Some people are struggling with adjustable rate mortgages – their payments started out reasonable but have increased hundreds of dollars. They might keep up for a few months but soon find that they can no longer make these oppressive payments. Others are having problems stemming from our economic climate. Many people have been laid off, lost jobs, or taken an income cut that they could not have foreseen when they took on their mortgages.

Though the banks and mortgage companies are offering loan modifications, they can be almost impossible to get to get and are often only a temporary solution. While working at the bank I couldn’t help many people with their situations unless they could pay the back mortgage payments they owed, which was almost always unrealistic. Fortunately, now I am on the other side and working with a great team that can help people with a permanent solution to their problems!

I look forward to helping you.

Holly

Since this is the first blog I’m writing, I thought I’d just take a second to introduce myself and talk a little bit about my first impressions of my new team. I’ve been negotiating short sales since 2006, so I guess you might say I feel like I’ve seen/heard it all. I just recently joined the Great Lakes team, and I’m really excited about the vision the team possesses and the potential I see in the company.

I can definitely see a genuine concern and regard for the clients with whom we are currently working and the associates with whom we come into contact. I’ve seen people from many walks of life in many different situations throughout the last few years, and I can assure you that, as a client facing a Michigan foreclosure, you will be informed, your information kept confidential, and above all, that you will be respected. We’ll always be doing our best to get you back to better times as fast as possible.  Click on my name below and check out my short video introduction.

Melissa

We have a new team member that we are excited to introduce to you! Melissa “Bank Bully” Arp. You’ve probably noticed that we added her to our team photo a couple weeks ago.

Why do most short sales fail? One of the main reasons is lack of persistent, consistent follow up with your lender. This is where Melissa excels. Melissa joins our team with over two years experience negotiating short sales and is a great complement to Joel (our “Closer” and “Fix It” guy).

With this one-two punch, lenders won’t have a chance, and your chance of a successful short sale will go up dramatically.

Meet Melissa and learn more about what she brings to our team by watching this video.

Stay tuned to her “insider’s insight” she’ll be sharing in future BLOG entries.

Joel

One question that we get asked a lot is “how did you know I was behind on payments and facing a foreclosure on my house?”

They are referring, of course, to the mail they received from Emily (“Mom”) Danger offering to help them with their pending Michigan foreclosure (at no charge of course). I know they are probably wondering “who else knows about the foreclosure?!”

What most people don’t know is that Michigan foreclosure laws require lenders to publish foreclosure notices in a newspaper that is circulated within the same county where the house is located. The foreclosure notice must be listed in the newspaper for at least four consecutive weeks.

This is where we get the names and “legal descriptions” of properties going into foreclosure. Every week, after we get the names of people facing foreclosure out of the newspaper, we go to the Register of Deeds and conduct a property search so we can convert those legal descriptions into property addresses so Emily can send the letters.

It’s the best way to reach those of you who need help, but don’t know where to turn. It may seem intrusive and bold on our part, but it’s really the fastest, most efficient way to make contact. Where else are you going to get the information you need to look at all of your options? Especially if you owe more than what you house is worth and can’t afford to make the payments any longer?

I hope that every letter Emily sends out generates a call, because I know we can help so many people out there. Everyone that calls is glad they received this letter so they can be shown options when facing the Michigan foreclosure.

Ann

I’ve always believed in going the extra mile for the homeowners that we work with facing foreclosure in Michigan.  But last week, I even think I went above the call of duty.

In our efforts to help someone we needed to take interior pictures of a vacant house. The only problem was the house was so infested with fleas that no one, including the Realtor®, wanted to enter the property. Against my better fashion sense, I donned a “bunny suit” (a full length, disposable coverall, complete with hood and booties) and headed inside with my camera.

We’re always here to help, and as we’ve show, we’ll go way beyond what anyone else will do to help you stop your Michigan foreclosure.

Emily

Editor’s Note (that would be Joel): Not only did she go above and beyond, this was for a case that we decide we could not take on (long story – but not because of the fleas). Plus she let me publish this picture! Click on the image for full size (and 100% entertainment!)

It seems lately that I can’t drive down a road without seeing a foreclosure notice taped to the front door of a house – anywhere in Michigan.  I always wonder about the family that lives there.  Do they feel as badly as I did would if it happened to me?  Do they feel that this is the end of the road for them, that they failed in life?  I wish I could go to them and tell them that there is hope; there will be a good life for them after this is over.  The key, though, is to avoid having a foreclosure ruin your credit and to prevent the lender from coming after you for all the money they’ll lose with the foreclosure (this averages about $40,000!).

It’s not the end of the road for you.  Make a U-turn and call us ASAP.  Why ruin your financial future and limit yourself when there is help available, at no cost to you?

I urge you to at least listen and read our testimonials (here and here) from real people that we have helped. They were once in the same spot you are in, but are now rebuilding their lives, with help from us.  See what we can do for you!

Emily