Bellevue, WA. (PRWEB) December 19, 2012
Benefit Legal Group is Supplying three Foreclosure Defense Seminars in January 2013 to teach Washington State home owners facing foreclosure about the choices offered which includes mortgage mediation under the Washington State Foreclosure Fairness Act, mortgage modification, real estate brief sales and bankruptcy.

The Washington Foreclosure Fairness Act (FFA) offers Washington State property owners facing foreclosure a little known proper to force their bank to the mediation table. Washington State was the third state to implement such a foreclosure mediation system right after Nevada and Maryland. Although the law has been in effect since July 22, 2012, it is estimated that much less that ten% of those eligible have availed themselves of the system to date. 
The so referred to as Foreclosure Fairness Act, offers distressed home owners operating with an lawyer or housing counselor, the right to an in-particular person mediation procedure to steer clear of foreclosure of their primary residence. Home owners can’t request mediation themselves and have to request it by way of an attorney or housing counselor. Numerous smaller sized banks and credit unions are exempt if they had much less than 250 foreclosures in the state in the previous year.

Washington State attorney, Jonathan Smith, with the law firm of Advantage Legal Group says this can be extremely effective indicates for most homeowners facing foreclosure to mediate a modification of their loan and avoid foreclosure. For those eligible, the Foreclosure Fairness Act (FFA) provides framework via which mortgages can be re-negotiated.

The method is overseen by the Washington State Department of Commerce. Once mediation is requested by an lawyer or housing counselor, the Department of Commerce assigns a mediator. The law then requires the parties to exchange monetary data and demands the banks to provide proof of ownership of the loan as effectively as an accounting of all charges and charges. If the homeowner was previously declined for a modification, they are necessary to state why and supply any appraisals or other details relied upon. The Act also requires the bank to appear at the face to face mediation with their attorneys and a individual from the bank present with the authority to sign off on a loan modification on the spot.

Jonathan Smith, whose firm serves most of Western Washington, notes that a excellent quantity of his clientele are acquiring modified loans by way of this procedure and numerous have seen dramatic reductions in their month-to-month loan payments. Smith says Of course it dependent on the customers circumstance, but we are typically in a position to bring a clients loan, that is months or even years behind, existing and lengthen their loan period out to 40 years in a fully amortized loan. Mr. Smith routinely attains these outcomes for his clientele. It is not unusual for my customers loans to be recast at rates as low as 2% interest price says Jonathan Smith.

Carmen Arruda, Regional Account Manager, with Fidelity National Title, says I am seeing excellent results from this program and hope that much more property owners will avail themselves of this mortgage mediation plan. It is heartbreaking to see so several individuals foreclosed upon every single month who do not even know about this fabulous program offered to Washington State property owners. I do not recognize why the state or the media dont market the Foreclosure Fairness Act or mortgage mediation far more.

As a bankruptcy lawyer in Bellevue, Seattle and Western Washington, Jonathan Smiths law firm also utilizes federal bankruptcy law to eliminate unsecured debt, and if the value of the home is much less than what is owed on the very first mortgage, to strip off second or third mortgages and discharge them in bankruptcy. The mediation method can also be employed to negotiate brief sales as properly. Says attorney Jonathan Smith. Our firm has negotiated hundreds of quick sales, says Mr. Smith and we frequently combine these approaches, renegotiate the very first mortgage via mortgage mediation and strip off second mortgages all together via a chapter 13 reorganization bankruptcy to attain fantastic results for our consumers.

Benefit Legal Group is a debt relief agency providing foreclosure defense services in Washington State which includes mortgage mediation, mortgage modification, brief sales and bankruptcy.

Benefit Legal Group provides free of charge foreclosure defense seminars in Western Washington. The following is the schedule of upcoming foreclosure defense seminars for January 2013.