Friday 19th April
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MY DOERS DID IT AGAIN! But it’s not over yet. (And Holly Says Thank You!)
Written on 31 Dec, 2011 at 19:50
I don't usually do this, but with Holly's permission, I've posted the three emails I received from her today. I get a lot of very flattering emails from homeowners across the country, and I appreciate them all very much...... (Continue reading)
GUEST POST: Debtor Education Course: Are Joe and Sally to Blame? By Attorney Russ DeMott
Written on 31 Dec, 2011 at 18:13
Russ truly likes helping people with financial struggles. “I view my practice as a way to level the playing field between ordinary citizens—the voters—and Corporate America—the vote buyers. I’m unapologetically on the side of the little guy.” And you... (Continue reading)
DOER ALERT: Wells Fargo Bank… How could you do this to a mother of four?
Written on 30 Dec, 2011 at 11:37
Doug and Holly were excellent customers of your bank for over 16 years, and then they hit a rough patch. They needed the bank’s help… some guidance to get them through difficult times. You had a chance to... (Continue reading)
OhioFraudclosure Blog Warns… Fannie & Freddie Eviction Moratorium Ends January 3rd
Written on 30 Dec, 2011 at 2:49
So, below is a video that Marco just put together. It's dramatic... disturbing even. It includes footage of the sheriff coming to evict a family, obviously without notice... or at least without adequate notice. Marco put the... (Continue reading)
ALJAZEERA… The year’s top story is not getting coverage…
Written on 29 Dec, 2011 at 19:51
ALJAZEERA: "If you want to find out about this story of the year and years past, in all of its disgusting detail, you can't just trust major media. You have to read Matt Taibbi in Rolling Stone, a music magazine,... (Continue reading)
Should State AGs Settle with Bankers? Ohio’s Former AG Marc Dann Weighs In… A Mandelman Matters Podcast
Written on 27 Dec, 2011 at 8:22
I decided that the best person to ask about what's going on with these positively inane negotiations would be a former State Attorney General, so I called Ohio's former AG, Marc Dann. Marc knows these people, he understands the... (Continue reading)
GUEST POST: Bob Cratchit Speaks Out on Christmas Foreclosure Freezes, Rated ‘PG-13’
Written on 26 Dec, 2011 at 18:48
Every year I take a whole week off at Christmastime. Of course, it wasn’t always that way. When I started working for my Uncle Scrooge years ago, he never would have allowed that. In fact, back then,... (Continue reading)
HO, HO, HOmeless… A Sobering View of the Crisis Affecting Us All
Written on 24 Dec, 2011 at 5:00
And to the homeowners who feel ashamed… who have suffered the indignity of losing a home in silence… this wasn’t your fault. You didn’t break the bond market and send housing prices into a free fall. You didn’t... (Continue reading)
FRONT LINE NEWS, A Mandelman Matters Podcast – December 23, 2011
Written on 23 Dec, 2011 at 9:58
FIRST UP: A favorable ruling from Florida's Supreme Court in the Pino Case... I ask attorney Matt Weidner and Foreclosure Hamlet's Lisa Epstein to tell us what it means to homeowners. SECOND STORY: A blogger in Ohio teams up with... (Continue reading)
‘Twas the Night Before Christmas – 2011
Written on 21 Dec, 2011 at 9:15
And, since it is the holidays, it's also time for my annual year-in-review-in-rhyme, read to the famous holiday poem, 'Twas the Night Before Christmas. I started writing my 'Twas the Night year-in-review in 2007, or at least that's the year... (Continue reading)
DOJ Arrests Attorney Mitchell Stein at LAX – A Mass Clusterf#@k
Written on 21 Dec, 2011 at 8:17
Assistant Attorney General Lanny A. Breuer of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division announced today that attorney Mitchell J. Stein was arrested on Sunday, December 18, 2011, at Los Angeles International Airport on charges related to his alleged role in a... (Continue reading)
Mandelman on The News Dissector Radio Show with Danny Schechter
Written on 20 Dec, 2011 at 20:11
I was a guest on the News Dissector radio show with Danny Schechter out of NYC. And I was joined by one of the Occupy Wall Street organizers and Capt. (Ret.) Ray Lewis. Check it out... given the... (Continue reading)
Foreclosure Fraud North by Northwest with Attorney Shawn Newman, A Mandelman Matters Podcast
Written on 20 Dec, 2011 at 14:40
A Mandelman Matters Podcast - Washington State attorney, Shawn Newman is fighting to protect the rights of homeowners. His legal theories and experiences in court related to Fannie and Freddie "owned" loans are interesting, to say the least, and... (Continue reading)
GUEST POST: Dear Colleagues, by Thomas A. Cox, Esq.
Written on 16 Dec, 2011 at 20:40
This letter was written today by attorney Thomas Cox of Portland Maine, and posted on several legal listservs. It was totally unexpected and more than moving. Tom is the lawyer whose work and depositions of GMAC's Jeffrey Stephan... (Continue reading)
DOER ALERT – Bank of America Disables a Disabled Vet
Written on 16 Dec, 2011 at 7:25
Bank of America… stop torturing disabled American veterans, and stop torturing Arlie Matthews and I do mean immediately… and I also mean… or else. He’s a brave and strong guy, but I know he’s got to be scared to... (Continue reading)
Neil Barofsky and American Banker Finally Catch Up to Mandelman Matters
Written on 15 Dec, 2011 at 19:54
No one helps those who don't help themselves. We need to be WE... and now. Because as long as the country believes that irresponsible borrowers are the problem, nothing will change for borrowers... not enough lawyers will join... (Continue reading)
Mandelman Speaks at California State Bar’s Annual Discipline Hearings
Written on 14 Dec, 2011 at 17:04
I also spoke to the members of the panel about the need for the State Bar to give more careful consideration to how it can better support the legitimate and ethical attorneys that could provide representation to homeowners in need... (Continue reading)
Arizona’s Rep. Jack Harper Says Walk Away and You’ll Pay
Written on 14 Dec, 2011 at 2:02
The Arizona Bankers Association has been trying to change that for years so banks could go after the homeowners for the amount of the deficiency, and finally they've found their boy in Jack Harper. Inconceivably, Harper says he will... (Continue reading)
GUEST POST: Welcome to Freddie and Fannie’s Mortgage Shell Game, By Shawn T. Newman, J.D.
Written on 12 Dec, 2011 at 20:30
Fannie and Freddie actually had a policy stating that they didn't want to receive the physical "notes?" This “policy” was created by Freddie and Fannie and clouds who actually has legal title to the property (i.e. mortgagee) and who... (Continue reading)
The Stalinist Era of Consumer Protection
Written on 12 Dec, 2011 at 15:58
Now, when right in front of our eyes, the banking lobby is pushing to make the only federal agency whose role is to protect consumers entirely toothless, once again we’re failing to make our voices heard. I know this... (Continue reading)
Register of Deeds, Jeff Thigpen, Is Not Playing Around – A Mandelman Matters Podcast
Written on 10 Dec, 2011 at 18:16
Well, I caught up with Jeff after receiving a "friend request" from him on Facebook... I recognized the name right away and sent him a note asking him to join me for a podcast... and he said yes, of course.... (Continue reading)
Letter Bomb Sent to Deutsche Bank CEO
Written on 10 Dec, 2011 at 0:06
The FBI has issued a statement saying that the Bureau is, "working with German authorities to assess the incident in Frankfurt and any potential threat to facilities or people here." NYPD has increased security around the Deutsche Bank locations in... (Continue reading)
If Your See This in Your Mailbox, Don’t Throw It Away
Written on 7 Dec, 2011 at 22:06
Tweet The OCC’s Independent Foreclosure Review program has started sending out the program’s Review Forms, which are required to begin the process.  A reader  sent me this photo of what the form looks like when it comes in the mail, so now... (Continue reading)
Author Michael Hudson Knows The Monster – A Mandelman Matters Podcast
Written on 4 Dec, 2011 at 12:59
Here's something you can't do anywhere else... listen to author Michael Hudson not only talk with me about his book, but listen to how he applies his vast knowledge of the subject matter to what's going on today in our... (Continue reading)
Last Minute Discounts on Max Gardner’s Boot Camp!
Written on 3 Dec, 2011 at 18:25
Max Gardner is holding one more Boot Camp this calendar year at his beautiful 160-acre farm in Western North Carolina. It's almost sold out, but there are a few seats remaining so he decided to offer them at a... (Continue reading)
DeMarco of the FHFA… Like when the baby gets a hold of a hammer.
Written on 1 Dec, 2011 at 13:37
So, I’m bringing all of this up because Mr. Edward DeMarco, who is just the "acting" director of the independent federal agency that placed both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac into conservatorship in the fall of 2008, has actually become... (Continue reading)
Mandelman’s Monthly Museletter – Version 16.0
Written on 30 Nov, 2011 at 17:15
In this edition you'll find: 1. Robo-signing KILLS... 2. OCC proposes credit rating duties go to banks - A real conversation with a banker-friend of mine. 3. PMI Files Bankruptcy - Regulators step in and take over yet another mortgage... (Continue reading)
THE NEWS: What’s Occupying My Mind is Making Me Dizzy
Written on 29 Nov, 2011 at 11:14
What you are about to read has not been smoothed out or otherwise homogenized, it’s just the news as it’s coming at me… and you. Go ahead… read it and then tell me everything’s just fine. ... (Continue reading)
Bringing UP the Rear – Neil Lipschutz, Managing Editor, Dow Jones Newswire
Written on 28 Nov, 2011 at 10:54
Obviously, either Neal has the cognitive abilities of a fruit loop soaked in milk, or he’s just disturbed. What do you suppose he thinks “spread” to Europe and its banks? I mean, I don’t think loans can spread…... (Continue reading)
A Foot Soldier in the Foreclosure Wars – Matt Weidner, A Mandelman Matters Podcast
Written on 27 Nov, 2011 at 10:53
I wanted to have Matt on a podcast so both homeowners and other lawyers would have an opportunity to hear his views on the crisis today, and specifically what he's seeing in the Florida courts. And sure enough, Matt... (Continue reading)
Unmistakably April Charney – A Mandelman Matters Podcast
Written on 24 Nov, 2011 at 20:00
So, whether you're a homeowner fighting to keep your home... or a lawyer who represents homeowners in foreclosure, here's an opportunity to hear what April has to say about where we've been, where we are today, and where she thinks... (Continue reading)
Home sales contracts are falling apart 2X as fast as last year
Written on 23 Nov, 2011 at 18:32
Why? Well, according to the Realtors, it’s credit scores and appraisals coming in too low. Well shave my head and call me Baldy… what do you know about that? I certainly do declare, how can such a... (Continue reading)
Sitting in at Max Gardner’s UCC Seminar at New York Law School…
Written on 23 Nov, 2011 at 5:51
So... if you're wondering why I'm writing this right now, as education is raining down all around me? Well, it's because this is like being at the All-Star Game of the foreclosure crisis. It's just packed with high... (Continue reading)
I, Robosigner… A three act play about affidavit fraud in AG Masto’s Nevada
Written on 18 Nov, 2011 at 17:52
… Faster than a NINJA loan originating at Wamu… More powerful than an unlimited warehouse line at Lehman Bros… able to see swaps and synthetics even when inside an SPE… Look, up in the sky… It’s a bird… It’s a... (Continue reading)
Professor Learns the Hard Way About Loan Modifications at Bank of America
Written on 15 Nov, 2011 at 22:38
MEMO TO BANK OF AMERICA… Why do you do these things to me? I was just sitting here minding my own business, perfectly content to write about Chase or Wells or anything else for that matter… but no, you... (Continue reading)
We’re Going to Need a Bigger Horse… Portland police back down, rather than engage Occupy Portland protesters
Written on 15 Nov, 2011 at 9:57
We need, as perhaps the late, great Steve Jobs might have said... to think differently, to fight differently. We need to scare them by making them realize that we are their source of power and just as we bestow... (Continue reading)
Our future hinges on just ONE thing…
Written on 14 Nov, 2011 at 12:06
You know the stereotype… we all do… reckless and greedy people who bought homes they could never hope to afford by signing their names on nothing down, 80/20 “liar loans” with negative amortization and teaser rates of 1%. And... (Continue reading)
Two Movies I Want to See… Bailout! and Margin Call
Written on 11 Nov, 2011 at 6:19
Two movies I really want to see, and I think you will want to see them as well. One is Bailout, and it looks funny and great. The other is Margin Call, and it look dramatic and really... (Continue reading)
Consumer Spending Up? Come on get happy…
Written on 9 Nov, 2011 at 8:31
The bottom-line… much of what the government is reporting is nothing more than a mirage, with the rest either easily explained or not indicative of a growing economy, but rather a shrinking one. ... (Continue reading)
Disturbing News from Behind Closed Doors – Attorney Thomas Cox, A Mandelman Matters Podcast
Written on 8 Nov, 2011 at 0:08
Tom's going to share some things that are very disturbing... things he's discovered are going on behind closed doors in the mortgage banking industry... thinks you probably haven't heard about before... things we all need to know. Don't even... (Continue reading)
OCC’s Independent Foreclosure Review for Homeowners is Ready – But, so are the Scammers
Written on 4 Nov, 2011 at 3:42
The bottom-line is that this does appear to be a chance for people who were treated unfairly as part of the foreclosure process (and Lord knows there are plenty who fall into that category) to get a shot at some... (Continue reading)
The World of the Investor with Attorney Talcott Franklin – A Mandelman Matters Podcast
Written on 2 Nov, 2011 at 10:40
WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH INVESTORS? WHO ARE THEY? ARE THEY LOSING MONEY ON FORECLOSURES? What do the investors think about all these foreclosures? What's the relationship like between investors and servicers? Do investors want to modify loans? Do... (Continue reading)
THE CRAVEN, A Halloween Trick-or-Treat, With Apologies to Edgar Allen Poe
Written on 2 Nov, 2011 at 0:18
Quoth the Craven, "Nevermore."... (Continue reading)
A TIME FOR GOOD JUDGEMENT: The jury is in AND we need judges to modify the way banks behave.
Written on 31 Oct, 2011 at 6:14
Our country is in crisis, and we can’t expect the banks to act for the overall good of our society… that’s not their role… that’s the role of the elected representatives who serve in our government. No surprises there,... (Continue reading)
Bull… meet China Shop. SB 94 and the California State Bar, Two Years Later
Written on 30 Oct, 2011 at 8:25
At the California State Bar Association's 84th Annual Meeting, September 17, 2011, Susan Anderson presented what she said is the bar’s official interpretation of SB 94, precluding a lawyer from being paid for services related to a loan modification until... (Continue reading)
What Shall We Tell Our Children, Mr. President?
Written on 27 Oct, 2011 at 9:19
What shall we tell the children, Mr. President? How can we tell them the truth? How can we tell them we’ve lost faith in America… that our government has abandoned us… that we no longer feel like a... (Continue reading)
Attorneys: Foreclosure Defense at a Whole New Level – Max Gardner In-person or On video
Written on 26 Oct, 2011 at 9:02
Max basically gives attorneys his thirty-year law practice in a box with easy to follow assembly instructions and ongoing support. And there's nothing theoretical about what Max teaches attorneys at his workshops and seminars. In fact, I've seen... (Continue reading)
Mainstream media waking up to foreclosures being a big problem – And by big problem, I mean Geithner
Written on 25 Oct, 2011 at 17:41
I’m not sure what to say to that, now that I’ve read Zach’s article and been shown more of what went on behind closed doors at the Obama White House. That mistakes were made is abundantly clear, but even... (Continue reading)
Public sector shedding 35k jobs a month — Republicans block bill to prevent further losses
Written on 25 Oct, 2011 at 8:03
State budgets have to be suffering from reduced income and sales taxes, don’t they? Higher unemployment obviously means fewer people working and those that are still working… are making less money, so it stands to reason that income tax... (Continue reading)
Obama’s New Plan to Help Housing Isn’t Worth Waiting For
Written on 22 Oct, 2011 at 8:17
Even Edward J. DeMarco, acting director of the independent Federal Housing Finance Agency says his fix will be more of a tune-up than an overhaul, with reduced “frictions” and “enhancements.”... (Continue reading)
Mitt, Mitt, Bo Bit, Banana Fanna, Fo Fit on Foreclosures
Written on 21 Oct, 2011 at 11:23
Romney has also offered a 160-page economic program and it offers nothing in terms of specific solutions to the housing crisis and in fact barely mentions it. And at the recently held Republican candidate debate, held in Las Vegas... (Continue reading)
From Bevilacqua to Fontenot, It’s Coast-to-Coast Confusion
Written on 20 Oct, 2011 at 18:38
As shocking as it may be to some, apparently if you start with MERS, mix in some robo-signing, have total disregard for the PSA, and entirely ignore each and every law along the way, well… you end up destroying the... (Continue reading)
Optimism Lost, and by Optimism, I mean Ben Bernanke and the NYT
Written on 19 Oct, 2011 at 8:54
I think the nice folks at the New York Times have been spending too much time at Zabars? Because I’m pretty sure it’s not a confidence deficiency… I think it’s money we’re missing… as in income, and the lack... (Continue reading)
Are Homeowners Suffering from LAS – Legal Abuse Syndrome?
Written on 19 Oct, 2011 at 1:24
Homeowners who have been forced into litigation in an attempt to save their homes, whether choosing to represent themselves, or hire an attorney, are battling against the largest financial institutions in the world in a court system that’s anything but... (Continue reading)
MERS Has Trouble, Right There in Ohio, With a Capital ‘T’…
Written on 18 Oct, 2011 at 18:28
“This case asks court very directly whether the MERS system complies with state law. If it doesn’t then I’m going to go back and reopen all of the foreclosures alleging that the transfers were invalid,” says Dann without hesitation. ... (Continue reading)
What Obama Should Have Done – Ezra Klein, Part 2
Written on 17 Oct, 2011 at 21:07
I mean, here we had our “smart” president, and the first thing he does upon taking the reins of a nation in real economic peril, is throw together a spending bill whose numbers were pulled directly from the hindquarters of... (Continue reading)
CA’s Democrats in Congress Wake Up to Need to Address Foreclosures
Written on 16 Oct, 2011 at 22:39
Apparently, this past week, the sound of the economy’s ship going down must have awoken the majority of House Democrats from California who then just jumped all over the Obama Administration for “failing to deliver on promises to curb foreclosures.”... (Continue reading)
WSJ Surveys Economists… US Incomes Won’t Make Up Lost Ground Before 2021
Written on 16 Oct, 2011 at 19:29
Yesterday, for the first time since the recession began, the Wall Street Journal survey of 50 economists now say that incomes in this country have been falling since 2000 and they don’t expect us to make up the lost ground... (Continue reading)
Inside the Obama Administration with Ezra Klein … and Mandelman
Written on 15 Oct, 2011 at 6:43
Klein seems to think that it’s important to understand how the administration got it so wrong… but I could care less. I think the salient point is that they knew they had gotten it wrong soon enough, and yet... (Continue reading)
The Recession is Over! Long Live the Recession!
Written on 11 Oct, 2011 at 12:33
Look people… don’t get bummed out about this study, because a few years from now the NBER is probably going to refer to today as having been a peak. ... (Continue reading)
Only One Paycheck Away from Disaster… No kidding, really? Go figure.
Written on 5 Oct, 2011 at 17:19
Since then, we’ve been bubbled into financial ruin. We bought high and sold low, until our 401(k)s turned into 201(k)s, and then we doubled down on shares of Pets.com, never bothering to question how the company planned to deliver... (Continue reading)
Attitudes on Wall Street: Dear God, Give Me Strength
Written on 4 Oct, 2011 at 6:03
Brancaccio asked about whether these Wall Street types recognized that bonuses are usually paid on profits, but that profits are "radically down," and Bethany replied that they don't. She said that there's a widespread belief that "it wasn't my fault,... (Continue reading)
Two Top Tier Lawyers Ready to Sue Servicers for Defrauding Homeowners
Written on 3 Oct, 2011 at 16:24
It's no secret to anyone close to the crisis that homeowners in distress are routinely lied to by servicers... often homes are lost as a result of those lies... and what's even more shocking than that is how so... (Continue reading)
The Birth of Robo-Signing…
Written on 3 Oct, 2011 at 6:43
My office will investigate whether other banks engaged in such practices because these failings involve much more than mere technicalities, as GMAC/Ally has claimed. As a consumer advocate and attorney, I am dismayed and shocked that the bank blatantly skirted... (Continue reading)
Former Sub-Prime Lenders Are Back to Profit Off of the Housing Meltdown. Seriously?
Written on 3 Oct, 2011 at 6:16
Basically, the architects of the sub-prime lending that caused the greatest financial crisis in the history of mankind, are now going to profit from the crisis they caused by buying and selling the very sub-prime loans they couldn’t sell before,... (Continue reading)
There’s Pain in Spain as Banks Go Down the Drain… Let Me Explain
Written on 29 Sep, 2011 at 9:12
I wonder what will happen in the next few years as more loans default and the condition of Spain’s banks deteriorates further. You don’t suppose that will mean fewer loans and tighter credit, which will reduce the demand for... (Continue reading)
Bank of America approves permanent loan modification. Homeowner makes payments. Trustee sale set Oct. 19th.
Written on 28 Sep, 2011 at 21:18
Let’s hit this one out of the park for Cynthia in Knoxville, shall we? Come on… did you have a frustrating day? Me too. So, here’s something to take all that frustration out on, what do you... (Continue reading)
Hard Truths Block Solutions to Foreclosure Crisis – But, I have the answers that will fix it.
Written on 26 Sep, 2011 at 0:59
BUT… the odds are that they won’t win their lawsuits, their legal arguments will not prevail and ultimately they will lose their homes to foreclosure. Many arrive in court having not made a mortgage payment in several years, and... (Continue reading)
AM I DREAMING ALL OF THIS? (If you can read this, please let me know.)
Written on 23 Sep, 2011 at 20:21
Is it possible that I’m only dreaming all of this? Like, maybe I don’t really blog about the financial and foreclosure crises… maybe it’s all just part of a reoccurring, and incomprehensibly maddening dream? ... (Continue reading)
Mandelman’s Monthly Museletter – Version 15.0
Written on 20 Sep, 2011 at 9:30
1. Obama Administration Leaps Into Action on the Foreclosure Crisis. 2. Nation's poverty rate climbs to 15.1%, highest in 18 years. 3. Obama Says Government to Help More People Refinance… Again. 4. Mortgage Defaults Skyrocket 33% Nationwide in... (Continue reading)
Obama Says Post Office Should Cut One Day of Mail Delivery… Now there’s change we can believe in.
Written on 20 Sep, 2011 at 2:53
Obviously, Obama has been hard at work on this very important subject, and I think we have to give credit where credit is due. And he’s got more ideas than just cutting a day of mail delivery, oh yes... (Continue reading)
Bringing Up the REAR: House Speaker Rep. John Boehner
Written on 19 Sep, 2011 at 19:46
Look, I’ve been an “employer” for some 20 years, and I’d just like to assure everyone that breaking the collective back of our nation’s middle class is precisely what is stopping America’s employers from spending the massive amounts of cash... (Continue reading)
Irresponsible Borrowers Documentary Trailer 2 – We Need Your Support
Written on 15 Sep, 2011 at 22:25
Watch it. Link to it. Post it. Support it. Everyone who contributes will be listed in the credits and we plan to take the film all the way to the Academy Awards. If "Inside Job"... (Continue reading)
We’re Simply Not Going to Win this Battle in Courts Alone…
Written on 14 Sep, 2011 at 19:01
We plan to release the final film by the end of this calendar year. This is an election year. We can’t afford to wait. Please help me change how this country views the tragedy that is the... (Continue reading)
I Failed… and I’m So Very Sorry
Written on 13 Sep, 2011 at 13:47
I don’t know what to say except that I am so very sorry that I let them down. So deeply sorry… and I’ll never forget them… I’ll try never to let something like that happen again. ... (Continue reading)
Mandelman’s Reluctant Analysis of Obama’s Speech – The American Jobs Act
Written on 10 Sep, 2011 at 22:21
I didn’t want to do this. I was perfectly content ignoring his idiotic drivel as I’ve been doing pretty successfully for over a year. Or, maybe it’s because he hasn’t said anything in over a year, I’m not... (Continue reading)
$6 Billion in Reinsurance Kickbacks to the Banks – Un-reported, Un-Acted Upon & Un-believable
Written on 8 Sep, 2011 at 18:17
Citigroup Inc, Wells Fargo & Co, SunTrust Bank Inc. and Countrywide allegedly required reinsurance partnerships on generous terms that violated the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, a 1974 law prohibiting abusive home sales practices.... (Continue reading)
GUEST POST: Prove Fannie & Freddie Innocent Before Suing the Banks – And Here Is How
Written on 7 Sep, 2011 at 13:29
For twelve years during and after the Savings & Loan crisis (1988-2000), I led the group of business analysts at PricewaterhouseCoopers that was responsible for monitoring Ginnie Mae’s $600 billion portfolio of mortgage-backed securities. During that period, I learned... (Continue reading)
Geithner is Allowing Banks to Recapitalize on Backs of Homeowners, or… Games Bankers Play
Written on 7 Sep, 2011 at 8:37
I’ll say one thing for Secretary Geithner: He’s great at distraction. He goes, “Lookie over here.” Then he points his finger towards China… and a pigeon flies out of his ass. You really have to watch this... (Continue reading)
The Case Against Philip Kramer, Et Al
Written on 7 Sep, 2011 at 8:00
You have to understand that while I’m happy to see any and all deceptive sales practices targeting homeowners stopped, I take no pleasure in seeing Philip Kramer prevented from suing Bank of America or any of the other banksters, all... (Continue reading)
Upcoming Max Gardner Seminar: UCC’s Impact on Securitization and Foreclosure Defense
Written on 3 Sep, 2011 at 5:06
Max Gardner, along with his faculty of expert guest speakers, will be delivering two specially designed in-depth sessions each one laser focused on the topic of the UCC’s impact on mortgage securitization - and each of the seminars is specifically... (Continue reading)
Mandelman on Arizona’s Channel 12 NBC News… And other news.
Written on 25 Aug, 2011 at 14:00
While in Phoenix filming a documentary on the foreclosure crisis, I got a call from NBC Channel 12 reporter Melissa Blasius who said she had heard I was in town and wanted to feature what I was doing in one... (Continue reading)
If Your Economic Forecasts are Wrong All the Time, Aren’t You Just Guessing?
Written on 8 Aug, 2011 at 14:31
Mark Zandi is not only misleading the American public, but he’s also misleading the American government, because he appears to have become the favorite economist of the Federal Reserve, the Treasury Department and the Senate and House Budget and Finance... (Continue reading)
From Insult to Injury and Back to Insult… A New Twist on the Demolition Derby
Written on 3 Aug, 2011 at 6:47
I remember a year or two back when Warren Buffett quipped that one solution was to “blow up a lot of houses -- a tactic similar to the destruction of autos that occurred with the â€cash-for-clunkers’ program.’” He was... (Continue reading)
Lawyers, foreclosure fatigue and the dreaded FREE HOUSE
Written on 29 Jul, 2011 at 19:23
Wake up people, we’re running out of time. We need to do better and that means we need to get smarter. And since I still have faith that our laws will prevail, we’ll be needing our nation’s lawyers... (Continue reading)
How does stuff like this still happen in this country?
Written on 25 Jul, 2011 at 15:36
For my part… and yours, if you feel like I do about this… I’m going to be sending emails to my elected representatives and to the White House expressing my disgust at a government that would do this. You... (Continue reading)
And the Beat Goes On… Yeah, the Beat Goes On…
Written on 23 Jul, 2011 at 2:05
And call me crazy, but I found the news oddly reassuring… you know… like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and an ice cold glass of milk. ... (Continue reading)
16 Banks Ordered to Compensate Victims of Improper Foreclosure
Written on 21 Jul, 2011 at 16:31
Guess what… the federal government has ordered 16 of the largest mortgage servicers to reimburse homeowners who they foreclosed on IMPROPERLY. Well, isn’t that nice? What a lovely surprise. ... (Continue reading)
GOING UP… The Rising Bar of Homeowner Rage
Written on 20 Jul, 2011 at 7:08
The fact is that the path we’re on can only end badly, and although I quite proud of how this nation has managed to hold it together until this point at least, as the man said, it’s all downhill from... (Continue reading)
HAMP, HARP, HOP, HOOP… Like Watching Someone Spend $10 Trying to Fly to the Moon
Written on 19 Jul, 2011 at 5:06
Boy, that sure is a relief, wouldn’t you say? Because, see… I had been under the impression that he had actually been trying to do something big and important and was putting his best foot forward, as it were.... (Continue reading)
No Friend to the Banksters… Attorney Nick Wooten – A Mandelman Matters Podcast
Written on 16 Jul, 2011 at 10:59
If I have to introduce Alabama foreclosure defense attorney Nick Wooten to you, then you're not much of a foreclosure crisis news junkie, because Nick has made headlines for his lawsuits against the banksters on behalf of homeowners as much... (Continue reading)
A Walk Down Memory Lane With President Obama & the Mortgage Crisis
Written on 12 Jul, 2011 at 18:00
As a result, homeowners who begin the process of obtaining a loan modification with expectations largely set by the President, are likely to be disappointed at the outcome, regardless the outcome. ... (Continue reading)
Well, Now Isn’t That Interesting… All the News That Fits, We Print
Written on 9 Jul, 2011 at 7:44
1. FDIC is suing former IndyMac CEO for a lot of dough. 2. Obama admits failure on foreclosure crisis. 3. What was the tru cost of the bank bailouts?... (Continue reading)
Mandelman SHOCKS Online Community, Says: “I don’t care about my readers anymore.”
Written on 9 Jul, 2011 at 0:54
And the best part of the whole thing is that even if you’re weren’t a DOER this time around… even if until now you’ve just been a “reader,” it doesn’t matter… ANYONE CAN BECOME A DOER AT ANY MOMENT. ... (Continue reading)
The Independence Rap Video: Because the children ARE our future.
Written on 3 Jul, 2011 at 11:11
Several classes later, when we were entering the year 1976, I used the opportunity to jump into a musical time machine to travel back to the year 1776 in the City of Philadelphia at the Continental Congress. I was... (Continue reading)
Mandelman’s Monthly Museletter – Version 14.0
Written on 2 Jul, 2011 at 7:28
Happy Independence Day! 1. Bank of America... The wrong house AGAIN? 2. Let's call it: Bernankeconomics. 3. Fifty Million for 7,000 Short Sales, Cash for Sunkers? 4. The OCC says fewer than 5,000 principal reductions in... (Continue reading)
Bringing UP the Rear – Fannie Mae’s President and CEO, Michael J. Williams
Written on 1 Jul, 2011 at 3:20
And I’ll never be able to prove this, but I’m al most positive that I could have bankrupted Fannie Mae for a lot less than $1.5 trillion, and I don’t know anything about the mortgage business. In fact, I... (Continue reading)
Bringing Up the Rear: Tom Deutsch, Executive Director, American Securitization Forum
Written on 1 Jul, 2011 at 2:52
I asked a friend of mine who is a fairly senior executive at a major bank, although not one of those mentioned here, and he said that he can’t imagine the banks losing them. He explains that the truck... (Continue reading)
GUEST POST: Stop HAMP Discrimination Against the Disabled and the Elderly
Written on 30 Jun, 2011 at 18:46
Retirees and the handicapped experience higher living expenses, including home maintenance, spiraling healthcare costs, utilities, and other expenses associated with age, disability, and/or deteriorating health. That fact progressively reduces their disposable income and ability to make mortgage payments. ... (Continue reading)
Ohio’s Former AG Marc Dann Talks Hawaii & Fighting Banks – A Mandelman Matters Podcast
Written on 30 Jun, 2011 at 4:06
While Marc was in office he was a very vocal opponent of Wall Street, and the mortgage servicers who were... and still are... destroying his state with unnecessary and even illegal foreclosures. And since he's left office, he's defended... (Continue reading)
