Stop Michigan Foreclosure

Carrot, Egg or Coffee?

A young woman went to her mother and told her about her life and how things were so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mother took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Soon the pots came to boil. In the first she placed carrots, in the second she placed eggs, and in the last she placed ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil; without saying a word.

In about twenty minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl. Turning to her daughter, she asked, ‘Tell me what you see.’

‘Carrots, eggs, and coffee,’ she replied.

Her mother brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. The mother then asked the daughter to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, the mother asked the daughter to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. The daughter then asked, ‘What does it mean, mother?’

Her mother explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. Its thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior, but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique, however. After they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

‘Which are you?’ she asked her daughter. ‘When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

Think of this: Which am I? Am I the carrot that seems strong, but with pain and adversity do I wilt and become soft and lose my strength?

Am I the egg that starts with a malleable heart, but changes with the heat? Did I have a fluid spirit, but after a death, a breakup, a financial hardship or some other trial, have I become hardened and stiff? Does my shell look the same, but on the inside am I bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and hardened heart?

Or am I like the coffee bean? The bean actually changes the hot water, the very circumstance that brings the pain. When the water gets hot, it releases the fragrance and flavor. If you are like the bean, when things are at their worst, you get better and change the situation around you. When the hour is the darkest and trials are their greatest do you elevate yourself to another level? How do you handle adversity? Are you a carrot, an egg or a coffee bean?

If you are facing a Michigan Foreclosure, you probably have felt like a carrot or egg at different times. Maybe a hardship has left you in a distressed financial situation and feeling like a carrot? Or after trying to work out a solution on your own with little success you feel like an egg, protecting yourself from further frustration and hurt. Give us a call and let us help you be a “coffee bean” and take charge of the situation and change it for the better. We will not ask you for any money and we will not put you in a worse situation. We will help you get back to better times.

Ann

Michigan Foreclosure Help Is Out There

Recently, we spent a couple hours with the wonderful folks from Kalamazoo Neighborhood Housing Services, who among other things, work with distressed homeowners facing a Michigan foreclosure. We met because we each use different methods for helping distressed homeowners and we wanted to learn how we could work together to help more people. As we talked, we learned that, they are a lot like us.

• They do not charge the homeowner for their service.
• They serve a wide area (despite their name, they help more than Kalamazoo area homeowners).
• They have a dedicated, experienced, trained staff ready to provide you with education, information and options if you are facing a Michigan foreclosure.

They are also HUD certified housing counselors. This should give you the confidence boost you need to take action if you are leery about just calling anyone, but you realize you need help. Help is out there, and all you need to do is reach out to it.

Whatever your situation, taking action is key. Get educated. Learn your options. Give KNHS a call or give us a call. We will keep everything confidential and we will not put you in a worse situation. Get help today!

Ann

Instincts Aren’t Always Right!

The other day I was at the lake with my dogs watching them “swim” which is really just them walking around in the water. They only go as deep as they can stand and still keep their heads out of the water. We all know that when a dog gets out of the water, some instinct tells the dog to shake to dry herself off. Well, as I was watching Maggie standing in the lake, up to her belly in water, she apparently decided she didn’t want to be wet because she started to shake. This just made her even more wet because she propelled water up over the top of her, soaking her head and back. The more she got wet, the more she tried to shake herself dry. I had to laugh and I thought to myself, sometimes our instincts are wrong.

Then I started thinking about the families facing a Michigan foreclosure that we talk to every day. Sometimes their instincts are wrong about how to respond. Some people who are behind on their house payments immediately think they need to file bankruptcy. While I am not an attorney (and you should always consult an attorney), I know from watching it over and over that a bankruptcy does not stop the foreclosure and merely postpones it. Other people facing a Michigan foreclosure will do some kind of work out program with their bank hoping to keep the house a little longer. This can be great if their financial hardship is over and they can make their new and future payments. However, for many people still facing a financial hardship, the new payments or terms are just as hard to pay as they were before the work out.

I think the main reason our instincts mislead us is that we lack information and experience. Most people have never experienced or been educated on Michigan foreclosures so when they are facing foreclosure, they have no instincts to guide them through. That’s why we are here! We can give you information and answer your questions and guide you through your options. We do not charge a fee and we will keep all your information confidential. Let us be your instincts and help you find the right course of action for you. Give us a call today.

Ann

A Michigan Foreclosure Does NOT Have to be the Boogie Man

As children, I am sure we all had our different “Boogie Man”, that thing that kept us awake at night with fear. When I was a child, I was afraid that my Dad was going to die when I was in high school because his Dad had died in high school. I knew enough to make myself miserable. I knew that sometimes people died of the same thing that killed a family member. What I failed to realize is that my grandfather died in an accident in a steel mill and since my dad did not work in a steel mill, this would not likely happen to him. When someone pointed this out and put this light on my “Boogie Man” a huge fear was lifted.

Many of our childhood fears are illogical like this based on us not having the full knowledge or experience or misunderstanding something. Sometimes, the same thing happens when we become adults. We get ourselves into a situation we don’t fully understand or were educated on and we don’t know where to turn. Many people facing a Michigan foreclosure end up in this situation. I hear it in the fears they voice when they call:

• If the Michigan foreclosure sale happens, am I out of options? (Answer is no, you have a redemption period with certain rights including the right to live in the house and sell it)
• When will the sheriff come and toss me out of the house? (Answer is not till the end of the redemption period and only after going through a legal eviction.
• Will the Michigan foreclosure auction happen in my yard for all the neighbors to see? (Answer is no)

That is why we are here. We have the experience, knowledge and answers to put your fears to rest. Plus, we will not charge you anything or put you in a worse situation, so no fears there! Give us a call and tell us what is bothering you and let us put the light of day on your “Boogie Man” and drive those fears away so you can get on the road to a better day.

Ann

Find Your Michigan Foreclosure Compass

Stuck in the clouds?

Did you know that when a pilot is learning to fly in clouds, one of the first things he has to learn is to not listen to his body and instead believe the instruments in front of him? That is because when we cannot see where we are going, it is so easy to get disoriented. You may have experienced this if you ever walked in a thick fog or snow storm. Imagine adding the third dimension of height and you can see why a pilot needs to learn to rely on instruments like compasses to keep them flying in the right directions (instead of her “seat of the pants” or “gut feelings”). Instruments also keep pilots from getting disoriented and turning the plane upside down or descending into an obstacle when they can’t see where they are going.

A similar disorientation can happen to us when we are in a stressful situation, such as a job loss, divorce, disability, death of a loved one. This can be amplified if the financial hardship causes someone to get behind on house payments so they are facing a Michigan Foreclosure. People facing a stressful situation tend to react emotionally and by “gut feel” instead of logically about what to do and where to go. They can make bad decisions or no decision at all. They need a “compass” to guide them out of the clouds of despair and into the light, and back to better times.

That is where we can help. We can give you information about your options, educate you about the foreclosure process and help you figure out your goals and plans. We can help you make a logical decision about what is best for you instead of a gut reaction that may be wrong. We never charge a fee for this and we won’t put you in a worse situation. Give Emily a call and let her show you how to get out of the clouds and back to better times.

Ann

If There Was No Such Thing As A Short Sale….

I had a lady call me the other day and say” “I need to do a Short Sale”.

“Ok” I said, “Tell me about your situation”.

She proceeded to tell me her story and ended with “I will be making a payment to the bank this month so they don’t foreclose”.

Wait a minute, I thought, we won’t do a short sale if you are still making payments because we are setting ourselves and you up for failure. Why? Because if you’ve got income to make payments, your income exceeds your expenses, and the chances of your lender agreeing to a short sale are very slim.

So, I had a question for her, and this is the same question you need to ask yourself: “If there was no such thing as a short sale, and the only option was to stay current or have a Michigan foreclosure, which would you do?” If your answer is “keep making payments”, well, then keep making payments.

If you are like a lot of distressed sellers in Michigan who have had a financial hardship (job loss, divorce, disability, death, etc) the obvious answer is you have no choice but to face a Michigan Foreclosure. These are the people we are best equipped to help with a short sale. While we are sorry that you have had a hardship, we are ready to help you focus on a better future. We will do this without charging you anything and we keep everything confidential. Yes, there are such things as short sales and we have the best team in Michigan to help you navigate through them (since 2005). Give us a call today.

Ann

Next Move – Nursing Home!

We recently moved our office because out landlord was selling the building. It was not our choice to move, but he left us with no options since we weren’t willing to stay and pay higher rent. It was a lot of work not only to do the physical move, but to find a new place and coordinate everything that had to happen to move a business with minimal down time. I also think we picked the hottest, most humid day of the year to move! I am happy to say, we got it done. At some point during the day, Emily (who had just moved her personal residences recently) said “I’m never moving again till they move me into a nursing home”

You may share these sentiments about moving. We find that a lot of distressed sellers facing a Michigan foreclosure don’t want to move. They might not know where they will move to, or not want to uproot their children, or have sentimental attachments to the house or not want to go through the pain of moving or many other reasons. It may not be their choice to move. Yet, if you can no longer make the house payments because your income has been cut due to a job loss, divorce, death, disability or some other financial hardship, eventually you need to face the reality that you just can’t stay where you are at either. After all, eventually, the bank will kick you out.

We may not be able to help with the physical aspects of moving but we can help you make a fresh start. We have options to try to salvage your credit and get you back on your feet quicker. We can reduce your stress by answering your questions about timing and options and we will deal with your lender so that you have less to deal with. Give Emily a call and discuss your situation with her. She will listen, make suggestions, and advise. She will never charge you anything or put you in a worse situation and she keeps everything confidential. Let Emily help you move on to better times.

Ann

Postponing the Inevitable

Now that summer is upon us, my dogs love to go swimming in the lake. However, they hate being dried off afterwords. I won’t allow them back in the house until they are semi-dry so it becomes a battle of wills. I pull out the towels and they run away, postponing the inevitable. Sometimes it becomes a game (to them anyway) with me chasing them around the garage jumping over obstacles while they gleefully run away. Eventually, hunger or the search for affection and companionship will pull them inside and they will have to endure the towel drying to get to their food or other goal.

We see a lot of people facing a Michigan Foreclosure go through a similar mental process. They want to avoid the pain of the foreclosure, so they may declare bankruptcy. I am not an attorney, but my experience has been that all the bankruptcy does for them is postpone the inevitable foreclosure. Yes, it makes your lender jump through a few more hoops to proceed with the foreclosure. However, eventually, they will do all the right legal things to be able to proceed. I have never seen a bankruptcy permanently stop a foreclosure.

If you are in a distressed financial situation and are considering bankruptcy, seek competent advice. My experience is that it probably is not worth pursuing the bankruptcy unless you have debt other than the house that a bankruptcy can help you with. If the house is your sole financial burden, give us a call and see what alternatives we can suggest. We can help you define your goals and find the best course of action for your situation. We will never charge you a fee and we promise not to put you in a worse. Give Emily a call today and stop postponing the inevitable and start working toward a permanent solution to your Michigan foreclosure.

Ann

Totally Awesome Team

This week we had to make a video for our coaches about our team and business and it made me realize how fortunate we are to have great people working with us. The best part is they are all here waiting to put their talents and experience to work for you. If you haven’t talked to all of them yet, let me introduce them

Holly assists Melissa with all the paperwork and non-negotiation calls to the bank, plus assisting everyone else in our office. When you first come to our office, she will be the friendly person out in front to greet you. She is a “machine” processing all the paperwork we have to collect and submit to lenders so the negotiations can proceed. She does all the behind the scene stuff that is only noticed when she isn’t here to do it.

Emily (aka Mom) is a more visible part of our team taking most of the incoming calls from distressed sellers facing Michigan foreclosures and helping them sort out their options. Emily will tell it to you straight in an empathetic fashion. She has seen her share of hardships in life and is not kidding when she tells you she knows what you are going through. I don’t believe you could find a more understanding person to help you figure out what to do when you are facing foreclosure.

Melissa is the one persistently calling lender after lender, negotiating all of the short sales and settlements. She is the one who sits on the phone, talks to unfriendly customer service people (sometimes who are in a foreign country), takes abuse from unsympathetic lenders and 85% of the time, succeeds in her quest to resolve a sellers situation. Not many people would be willing to dig in their hills and keep picking up the phone time and time again like she does.

Joel solves all the unusual problems that come up along the way. He is also the one out talking to attorneys, title companies, buyer lenders, REALTORS® and the rest of our extended team that help us help distressed sellers. Joel also is our main link to other companies around the nation helping distressed sellers. Joel does not hesitate to ask others for advice if we come up against something new.

Me, well I am dealing with the REALTORS® daily to help get the houses sold. This involves educating them, filling out their paperwork, making suggestions on their marketing and updating them on our progress. If you ever worked with a REALTOR® buying/selling a house, multiply this by about 50 and you will know what my day is like.

All of these people come together daily to help you. We are passionate about what we do and the people we help. If you are facing a Michigan foreclosure, give us a call and let us put our experience and talents to work for you.

Ann

What Bank Leaders Know That You May Not Know

According to this article from CNBC one of the nation’s biggest banks, Bank of America, is making it easier than ever before to do Short Sales (where the bank accepts a discount on what is owed so the house can sell). Why? According to the article, it is because they see the need for short sales growing and it is less expensive for them to do a Short Sale than to take a house back at the end of the foreclosure process as a bank owned property. Duh! They also point out that few homeowners qualify for the government’s Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP). Duh again!

This is nothing new to us. We have been pointing these things out for years. The good news for sellers facing a Michigan Foreclosure is that what could be one of their best options is becoming more accepted and hopefully easier to do. We still recommend that a short sale be your last option, and it may not be the best option for everyone. Still, we have been able to help a lot of people over the last 5+ years get back to better times through a short sale.

If you are behind on your house payments because of a financial hardship (job loss, divorce, medical situation, death, etc) give us a call and let us see what option is right for you. We never charge a dime, we keep all your information confidential, and we won’t do anything to put you in a worse position. See how the new thinking among bank leaders can help you get back to better times.

Ann