What the heck is going on around here? We're now passing around a story about a stupid PR stunt by a lawyer that ended up making Bank of America look REASONABLE? Oh my God, people... listen to me... (Continue reading)
The bankers... yes, the very same bankers who leveraged up on garbage CDOs as if housing prices would never ever go anywhere but up are now supposedly shocked and dismayed that mortgage lending volumes don't seem to be "coming back,"... (Continue reading)
Click the button below... and you'll hear a Mandelman Matters PODCAST... A PODCAST THAT MATTERS, if you will. From start to finish, it's unquestionably MAX GARDNER at his candid best. ... (Continue reading)
Falling Home Prices, the Next Financial Crisis is Near, Defaulters Aren't Deadbeats After All, the Economy with Gwen Ifill and MERS has No Clothes.... (Continue reading)
I'm not kidding about this... every morning I wake up, get my coffee, turn on some cable news show, look over at my wife and say: "Look at that, honey... BofA didn't blow up again today! Will wonders never... (Continue reading)
Don't make this more complicated than it need be. If you came and repossessed my car but were NOT the person or entity holding my pink slip, then we had a phrase to describe that occurrence as well ...... (Continue reading)
So... in "Pillage," Nomi Prins explains in terms anyone can understand that factoring in the leverage at 11:1, we're looking at a $140 TRILLION economic problem... yes, you read that correctly... that's trillion, with a 'T'... (Continue reading)
Okay, so Mr. Marques is nothing if not persistent, apparently, and God bless him for that, because this time out... his third time at bat... he hits one out of the park! ... (Continue reading)
The findings of the independent reviews will be... sealed... closed to the public... whatever the independent reviews uncover or determine will remain a well-publicized secret. ... (Continue reading)
Hagen went on to explain that he had lobbied "the individual that issued the strike everything amendment, which I would say would have to be Rep Nancy McClain, but I suppose it could also have something to do with Sen.... (Continue reading)
Spolier Alert: Rep. Seel, who wonder of wonders... serves on the... wait for it... BANKING AND INSURANCE COMMITTEE... DENIES that his $100,000 principal reduction had anything to do with his decision to run late that day and not propose the... (Continue reading)
Why did you become a reporter, Carolyn? Because if it was to write about events such as these in the style and tone of your article, then I'd suggest you consider looking for a copywriting gig at an ad agency.... (Continue reading)
I know... you think not modifying those loans is punishing the homeowners for getting in over their heads... but in realty, it's not punishing them... it's punishing you... you are running about, commenting on blogs, advocating the kicking of your... (Continue reading)
Bank of America bought Countrywide for $4 billion and change. That sounds funny to me now. You've got to admit it. The idea that someone would PAY money for Countywide has to make you giggle at least... (Continue reading)
California Senate Bill 729 failed to pass in the Senate Banking Committee for the second time in the last two weeks. In a related story, it seems that the rights of chickens have suffered yet another blow, with the Chicken... (Continue reading)
The new law makes mediation prior to foreclosure MANDATORY if requested by the borrower, and requires mortgage servicers attempting to foreclose to submit to the mediation board, 14 days prior to mediation, proof that the chain of title is intact,... (Continue reading)
Debt is a status symbol... debt is a sign of success... debt is cool... you should want as much debt as you can get... being approved for more debt means you've made it. I want to be a gold... (Continue reading)
But then... the people in Arizona... well, they don't have Brudda IZ... now do they? Click play... turn up your speakers... close your eyes... and pray for SB 651 to pass tomorrow. Amen.... (Continue reading)
And, to add insult to injury, our government has stood by obtuse and witless as these same banks have been permitted to lie, mislead, abuse, disrespect, malign and outright torture homeowners trying to apply for a government program funded by... (Continue reading)
See, these are the kinds of things that make me afraid of the world around me... like, now I don't want to even leave my house. Does stuff like this work on "investors?" What... are the "investors" he... (Continue reading)
Well, what they're calling the Attorneys General "Term Sheet" is out and to kick it all off, I went with an analysis of the AG's work product written by Joshua Rosner, who is Managing Director at independent research consultancy Graham... (Continue reading)
Of course, there are times when more stuff happens to more people, and today is obviously an example of such times. The economic conditions that we're experiencing today are causing more foreclosures than at any time since the 1930s. When... (Continue reading)
We're not people who simply decided to skip out on our mortgage. We did everything as upright and by the book as we were instructed to do by Chase yet we still lost our home. On the day they took... (Continue reading)
This report will compare the Net Present Value (NPV), of standard Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), modifications with Principal Reduction Alternative HAMP (PRA HAMP) modifications. If the mortgage principal balance on a home exceeds 115% of its market value,... (Continue reading)
The only reason this bill is being pushed through the Arizona legislature is that one of that state's senators actually tried to rescind her own predatory loan and found out first hand what it's like to have to deal with... (Continue reading)
I read her speech yesterday evening; parts actually gave me chills, and parts left me with a hopeful tear in my eye. She says almost exactly what I've written in my articles on at least dozens and at this... (Continue reading)
Now, clearly this is a decision that's worth reading for one's self... Judge Grossman is one heck of a writer and not one to play patty-cake with MERS or those of the banking persuasion, but I thought I'd at least... (Continue reading)
You see, it's a very well thought out no-lose proposition, this new California foreclosure rescue program... because if the banks refuse to participate in it, which would kill the whole principal reduction aspect of the plan, it's really not a... (Continue reading)
Tomorrow is call your Attorney General Day nationwide. I need you to take action here... it's time to be heard. The foreclosure crisis must be stopped and servicers must be held accountable for their crimes.... (Continue reading)
So, just curious... who woke up the House Republicans, a group who have otherwise been fast asleep these last two-plus years, at least as far as the foreclosure crisis is concerned. In point of fact, over the last two... (Continue reading)
See... this is an excellent example of why I'm starting to think we've become too civilized a society. I was born back in Brooklyn, New York, I mostly grew up in Pittsburgh, and my wife's from the City... (Continue reading)
Qualified (and of course ethical) lawyers are infinitely better than the vast majority of homeowners for the same reason that I'm afraid of my wife, but I'm not afraid of yours... do you know what I mean by that? ... (Continue reading)
They're manipulating you into feeling ashamed for being in trouble on your mortgage... but don't let them make you feel that way. It's not your fault... it's the banks that wear the black hats in this horror movie, make... (Continue reading)
Max Gardner is Coming to Las Vegas... Friday, February 18, 2011 at 7:00 PM -through- Monday, February 21, 2011 at 3:00 PM to prepare troops for OPERATION STRIKE BACK... THE BANKRUPTCY AND FORECLOSURE BOOT CAMP. I've attended Max's Boot... (Continue reading)
I don't like to do this, but I've been trying to point this nonsense out for so many months now, I can't even keep track. I didn't need a study to know this, I come up with my conclusions... (Continue reading)
Judge Sikora, who was elected in 2008 as president of the Ohio Association of Juvenile Court Judges, said he was surprised when right smack dab in the middle of his negotiations with JPMorgan Chase, the bank went ahead and filed... (Continue reading)
And forgetting the homeowners for a moment, if these financial institutions are capable of this type of fraud, how can we or others around the world ever trust them. ... (Continue reading)
I didn't realize it was liberal to want to see someone put a stop to the kind of abusive lending behavior that has stripped the middle class of just about everything they had. I guess conservatives are now the... (Continue reading)
Can you hear me now? Is that doing it for you? The facts about California attorneys who offer to assist homeowners with loan modifications as presented in the New York Times story are just plain WRONG. ... (Continue reading)
Well, I'd have to say nicely done there, Bank of America, all around. I mean, you managed to take a woman from sending you $15,000 to take over the home out of probate after her husband died... her "haven"... (Continue reading)
ACCE says that now they plan to up the ante by " bringing together the collective power of the homeowners themselves in alliance with their supporters among labor unions, the religious community and community organizations." And in fact, among... (Continue reading)
So... I have a question for my fellow Americans... and for elected representatives in Washington D.C. and state legislatures... and for that offensive, mindless twit Diana Olick on CNBC... Are we done irrationally punishing the so-called "irresponsible" people yet? ... (Continue reading)
Facing Change: Documenting America is a non-profit collective of dedicated photojournalists and writers coming together to explore America and to build a forum to chart its future. Mobilizing to document the critical issues facing America, FCDA teams will create a... (Continue reading)
The Beige Book, as it's commonly known, is a report published eight times each year. Each of the 12 Federal Reserve Banks, which are located throughout the country, "gathers anecdotal information on current economic conditions in its District through reports... (Continue reading)
Here's Foreclosure Mom's rap... nothing further need be said... watch it. And if you're going to try to get your loan modified, get a REST Report... I wouldn't even consider trying it without it. You can find out more... (Continue reading)
Now, tell the truth... I'm not saying that this is what happened next, but what if I told you that the next thing that happened was that Khast bought a handgun and shot a banker in the head, would you... (Continue reading)
Excuse me, DA Hurlbert? You're not going to prosecute Martin Joel Erzinger for running down someone riding a bicycle and then fleeing the scene because it wouldn't look good on the guy's resume? Seriously, Mr. Hurlbert? Where... (Continue reading)
Join me now for the stories of three such Americans. May their stories remind you of the power we all posses to serve our country and help it grow and prosper, so that our government of the people, by... (Continue reading)
Want to know who Howie Hubler is? Did you read Michael Lewis' book, "The Big Short," because if you did, you might remember Lewis mentioning a bond trader at Morgan Stanley that lost the investment bank $9 BILLION... more... (Continue reading)
You don't think so? Then tell me what you think would happen if I walked into a courtroom and handed the judge a fraudulent set of documents requesting that he ignore procedures designed to protect property rights in this... (Continue reading)
So, why didn't the bankers assign the loans to the trusts? I don't know... for sure. But I'm going to go out on a limb here and tell you it's because they wanted to borrow against them, and... (Continue reading)
Well, in the August HAMP Report, which is published monthly by Treasury, is a chart that shows that Treasury has disagreed with a higher than average number of the decisions being made by CHASE, Wells Fargo and Bank of America.... (Continue reading)
But Treasury officials told the bloggers that they knew all along that it wouldn't work, that homeowners would be foreclosed on left and right, but, they explained, that was okay with them. In fact, it was a good thing.... (Continue reading)
Now that Elizabeth Warren has been appointed to the post, albeit temporarily, support her with whatever support you can offer, Senator Dodd. Let the ones that oppose Elizabeth Warren stand naked in the light. And the American consumer....... (Continue reading)
Most of the suits allege that the trial modification plans are contracts, and that Bank of America and every other servicer broke them by not granting permanent modifications to homeowners who made their trial payments on time and provided the... (Continue reading)
"And we documented what went on with each file so that if the investor came in to audit the files, everything would be accurate in terms of what had transpired and in what time frame. It was all about... (Continue reading)
So, what's not to love? Banks win by getting more for the property than would otherwise be the case. Investors win through earning a return that averages 15% on their investment. Banks win by getting more for the... (Continue reading)
Secretary Geithner explained the program to reporters while waiting for his dessert soufflé to rise. Those in attendance said that he told the group that the program would help homeowners and get the economy back on track by removing... (Continue reading)
1. Lehman Bros. CEO says bankruptcy wasn't Lehman's Fault. 2. Stimulus is folly. 3. Call it a depression. 4. Geithner's happy about HAMP. 5. Foreclosures breed foreclosures. 6. AZ's loan mod program won't work. ... (Continue reading)
Click on the link to tune in to the Mandelman in the Morning Podcast for September 3, 2010... ... (Continue reading)
Even though the bill was supported by EVERYONE but the banking lobby, it was rejected 36-30 in the Assembly. Even after it was approved by the state Senate and three Assembly committees. This time... no... but thank you... (Continue reading)
It made me sad to know what Treasury Department officials had said about the foreclosure crisis and HAMP... very, very sad. In fact, I can't think of another time in history when my government acted as these guys have... (Continue reading)
The biggest question I have about the real estate market is... why are we all pretending that there's a real estate market at all. There's no real estate market in this country, hasn't been one since July 10, 2007,... (Continue reading)
And NPV 4.0 is what drives the PRA, which is a "deferred principal reduction program" that allows the homeowner to earn a principal reduction over a three-year timeframe by making all payments in accordance with the loan's modified terms. According... (Continue reading)
My goodness, I've been doing quite a few radio programs on the foreclosure crisis and loan modifications and the economy lately, have you noticed? I really like doing the radio show thing, it's a lot easier than writing long,... (Continue reading)
Elizabeth Warren's appointment to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the agency she conceived of and has lobbied for since 2007, is by no means assured, and in fact, sources on The Hill say they don't think Warren will get the... (Continue reading)
I talked about... can you guess... right! The foreclosure crisis and loan modifications... and the economy... and some recent court decisions... a regular fountain of knowledge, I was. I haven't listened to it, but I figured some of you... especially... (Continue reading)
Elizabeth Warren: "It's about respect. I believe that the American people ought to be part of the conversation about what's happening in our economy, and what's happening in Washington D.C. and what's happening on Wall Street. I truly... (Continue reading)
It doesn't happen every day... far from it, perhaps... but, once in a great while you see something that really means something... something that you are unlikely to ever forget. This video is one of those types of things. ... (Continue reading)
Uh oh. Someone's gonna' be in big trouble... as in... Lucy, you got some "˜splainin' to do. Is it warm in here all of a sudden?... (Continue reading)
RESPA is a federal statute so I would think that this sort of thing could be happening all over the place... like in all 50 states. And it's also worth mentioning that what Bank of America is accused of... (Continue reading)
Everything's going just fine. There are no real problems with HAMP or with the servicers who are implementing HAMP. Oh sure, there have been a few challenges, but most of them have been caused by the borrowers who... (Continue reading)
Everyone knows how much I love sarcasm... or at least have come to love sarcasm writing about the foreclosure crisis... and on this article I think I might have taken my sarcasm to such a level that readers, especially those... (Continue reading)
In some cases, banks are attempting to renegotiate or modify their loans. For example, Midwest Banc Holdings offered to swap $84.8 million in preferred shares issued under the TARP program for $15.5 million in common shares, but that would... (Continue reading)
Here it is... the first article I ever wrote for The Niche report magazine. Click the linked title below: Pigs, Puppets & People in Peril. Seems like soooo long ago... ... (Continue reading)
If the guys in Sacramento or Washington D.C. think that I view ANYTHING they've done to-date as being even remotely competent, let me be oh so clear... I DON'T. As far as I'm concerned, our government is functioning just... (Continue reading)
I don't know about you, but 1700 out of 650,000 makes me want to believe that the 1700 were mistakes that slipped through. It makes more sense to think that the HAMP program was designed to create foreclosures... and... (Continue reading)
IndyMac/One West Bank... Mortifying abuse... completely devoid of good faith... harsh, repugnant, shocking and repulsive. Bravo, Judge Spinner... Bravo! When I read it for the first time, it literally brought tears to my eyes. ... (Continue reading)
I'm announcing today that I will write and publish every story I receive about a homeowner being jerked around by IndyMac/One West Bank. Every single one. Write to me and I'll put it out there. ... (Continue reading)
They declined to participate. Am I the only one that feels like a 5 year-old just told me he or she wasn't going to take a bath as requested? Oh really? Get in the damn tub now...... (Continue reading)
First of all... I'm sure the house-sitting Wells executive that hosted parties throughout the summer never invited anyone from Wells Fargo... or B of A... or Chase, IndyMac, etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. I'm sure most of the exec's friends are... (Continue reading)
Months ago we weren't sure of many of these things and so you could say just about anything related to the loan mod process and no one could call you on it. Now the jury has come in. Guess you'll... (Continue reading)
Beth Jacobson says that she and fellow loan officers at Wells Fargo Bank systematically singled out blacks in and around Baltimore in order to sell them high-interest sub-prime mortgages, whether they would have qualified for prime loans or not. ... (Continue reading)
It has occurred to me over the last several weeks, that there are many people that simply want… and perhaps need… the news to be good, regardless of what the news actually is. When the news is not good, they... (Continue reading)