California Bar Journal Runs Ads for Loan Mod Firms? Seriously??
The California State Bar has made no secret of its feelings about lawyers who represent clients seeking loan modifications. They don’t like it. Why? Because what the California State Bar knows about obtaining loan modifications you could put in a thimble.
There… I said it. Somebody had to say it, so I did. There are literally hundreds if not thousands of attorneys who have thought it, so I said it. There’s no question that I should have said it months ago, and I’m not proud that I didn’t. It’s very unlike me to hold back like that.
It’s not like it’s a debatable argument. The Bar has voiced its view openly. As bizarre as it may sound on the surface, they simply don’t want homeowners to hire an attorney when they’re at risk of losing their homes. To me it’s shocking, and I don’t really understand why every single other U.S. citizen wouldn’t be equally shocked. It has to sound odd: Tonight on Channel 5 News… The Bar association that doesn’t want you to have a lawyer if you’re at risk of losing your home… film at eleven.
Who would have ever thunk it?
The State Bar in California even went to the point of publishing the names of attorneys they were investigating for misconduct related to offering to represent clients seeking loan modifications. No specific misconduct, mind you, just general misconduct. And you know how a vague and ambiguous listing of names always exerts a calming influence over a somewhat chaotic political witch-hunt. It was just exactly what the doctors ordered, let’s just say that.
So, come to find out that the California Bar Journal is running ads for a company called “Nice Mod,” a DRE licensed company that presumably accepts no money until the client’s mortgage has been modified, paid off in full, and the homeowners have both passed away, in the case of a married couple.
Nice Mod? Nice Mod? I’m sorry, but is English a second language? If so, then… good job.
I’m told this company has been running print ads in the California Bar Journal for some time too. Like it’s nothing. And not only that, but according to this company’s print ad they have:
A. “Unique knowledge of investor and servicer motivations,” which apparently leads to the “optimization of client results.” Wow. Unique knowledge. Knowledge that’s unique. One-of-a-kind unique? Or everybody-already-knows-it unique?
B. “Servicer contacts at the highest levels,” which is said to “reduce delay and increase responsiveness during negotiations.” Aren’t you dying to throw this company a few referrals? I’ll pay to watch them handle someone who’s never been late on an Indy Mac adjustable with a Wells Fargo purchase money second. I can’t wait to see the responsiveness at the highest levels.
C. They also “take the guess work out of modifications”… the guess work… from modifications… they take it out… out-a-there… gone… no more guess work… with Nice Mod… it’s a certainty type deal… with Nice Mod… loan modifications… are certain… no more guess work… bitchin’. Why don’t I know about these guys?
Some of the reason behind my not knowing them has to be the fact that they’re advertising in the California Bar Journal, the second to last place that I’d ever think of looking for a loan modification company, the last place being in Rich & Richer magazine, or whatever the equivalent themed magazine is called these days.
The other reason may be that the firm seems to be advertising for attorneys. Attorneys, it would seem, can outsource their “processing” of loan modifications to this company. That way they don’t have to do the work themselves. They can take in the client and outsource the work to a DRE licensed firm. And that’s okay. That is apparently A-Okay with the California State Bar. You can even promote such a business by advertising in the California Bar Journal.
Now. if you were an attorney advertising in the Bar Journal, on the other hand, it would seem that you might end up on someone’s “list,” but a real estate firm… not so much.
Well fine and dandy, and how do you do! I don’t believe I’m going to write any more words about that subject, no I don’t believe I will at that.
Lo siento. Que se mejore pronto.
(I’m sorry. And I hope you get better soon.)
And my apologies to the presumably nice folks at Nice Mod. I certainly didn’t mean to imply anything about their organization, except to say that they were probably quite smart to advertise in the California Bar Journal.