A recent RealtyTrac report found the number of properties subject to default notices, scheduled auctions or bank repossessions in 2011 dropped 34 percent from the previous year. In addition to the overall decline in foreclosures, the report stated that December activity was at the lowest level since August 2007. While this is great news, the report did caution that an upswing of foreclosure activity could be possible for 2012.

It is expected that the increase in 2012 will come as a result of “leftover” foreclosure filings from 2011. The time to complete the foreclosure process has increased 24 percent since the third quarter of 2010 when concerns about fraudulent documentation appeared in some markets, according to Fox Business. Fox Business also reports that there are precautions that homeowners can take to prevent the possibility of a foreclosure. Property owners with equity in their mortgages may be eligible to refinance their home loans and lower their payments. Additionally, lender and government mortgage programs may be able to assist those with negative equity.

It's advisable to consult with an attorney to discuss the options listed above and choose a path that is most appropriate. If you are based in Suffolk County and are facing foreclosure, visit or call the Law Offices of Ronald D. Weiss, P.C. for a free initial consultation. You can also call 631.479.2455.

A new year typically means a fresh start. For homeowners that are facing the foreclosure process, a new year doesn?t conjure up images of starting fresh, it just means another month of stress. But, thanks to seasoned professionals like the attorneys at the Law Firm of Ronald D. Weiss, P.C., it doesn?t have to be that way. If you?re based in Long Island and are seeking foreclosure defense, consider speaking with a professional at the Law Firm of Ronald D. Weiss, P.C. that has been helping foreclosure victims in Long Island for years.

There are foreclosure avoidance options out there since our current Administration has implemented a number of programs to assist homeowners who are at risk of foreclosure and otherwise struggling with their monthly mortgage payments. The key is to work with a professional foreclosure defense lawyer to work through the details and make sure you choose the path that is right for you.

Foreclosure defense allows homeowners to assert their rights and oppose a foreclosure proceeding by engaging in litigation defense strategies. Legal defenses can delay the foreclosure proceeding and allow more time to explore alternative solutions, and potentially threaten the dismissal of the foreclosure action. Many times, our firm can identify possible issues that would create a strong defense and threaten the dismissal of the foreclosure action. Take action now to ensure a happy and stress-free new year.

If you are a Long Island resident and in need of foreclosure defense, visit or call the Law Offices of Ronald D. Weiss, P.C. for a free initial consultation.

While November?s foreclosure filings are stable, there is an expectation that 2012 will bring on a rapid rise. Foreclosure filings, which can be anything from a default notice toa bank repossession, were reported on 224,394 U.S. properties in November, a three percent decrease from the previous month and a 14 percent decrease from November 2010, according to RealtyTrac, a foreclosure marketing firm.

"Despite a seasonal slowdown similar to what we've seen in each of the past four years, November's numbers suggest a new set of incoming foreclosure waves, many of which may roll into the market as REOs or short sales sometime early next year," said James Saccacio, co-founder of RealtyTrac.

Notices of default (NOD) are a good barometer of what to expect in the foreclosure market, or an early warning sign that a homeowner is in trouble. In November, RealtyTrac reported 71,730 NODs, down eight percent from October and down nine percent from November 2010, which is encouraging news.

Foreclosure auctions were scheduled on 96,540 U.S. properties in November, up 13 percent from October, but still down 17 percent from November 2010. Scheduled foreclosure auctions increased drastically on a monthly basis in several states, including California (up 63 percent), Washington (up 56 percent), Ohio (up 53 percent), New Jersey (up 44 percent), and New York (up 38 percent). What this means is that we should soon expect to see a rise in foreclosures as a back log from August is worked through.

If you are based in Long Island and are struggling to pay your mortgage, visit or call the Law Offices of Ronald D. Weiss, P.C. for a free initial consultation. You can also call 631.479.2455.

According to NPR, the housing market is becoming more and more attractive to those seeking to buy a home. The reason? Because some foreclosed homes are going for half, or even less, than the market value during the boom in 2007. That means that a foreclosed home valued at $500,000 in 2007 may now be sold for $200,000.

If you are being threatened by foreclosure, do not let this happen to you. You?ve worked hard to make your house a home and don?t want to see it foreclosed upon and sold for a small percentage of what it?s worth. Act now in order to rescue your home from the foreclosure process.

Refinancing may be an option, though should be thoughtfully discussed with an attorney before taking any action. In appropriate situations, such as in conjunction with the filing of a Chapter 13 case, it may be possible to consider the benefits of refinancing. The Law Firm of Ronald D. Weiss, P.C. can explore this option with you, discuss how to rebuild your credit to obtain such a loan and recommend financial professionals who specialize in refinancing under these circumstances.

Because this strategy is often cumbersome, it?s best to be pursued along with other foreclosure defense options and under the consultation of a professional. If you are based in Long Island, New York City or Westchester County and are within the foreclosure process, visit or call the Law Offices of Ronald D. Weiss, P.C. for a free initial consultation. We also offer evening appointments for your convenience.

Hurricane Irene not only caused torrential rain, record high winds and power outages and life-threatening flooding, the storm also caused a flooding of insurance claims for damages.

According to Housing Predictor, heavy rain and flooding in more than a half dozen states, such as New York, is expected to bring upwards of a million home insurance claims. But many homeowners will soon learn that flooding damage left in the storm’s wake won't be covered by their standard insurance policies.

Additionally, homeowners in the foreclosure process will too discover that it’s nearly impossible to be reimbursed for insurance claims for property damage. Long Island residents in this situation should immediately be in touch with a Foreclosure Defense Attorney. Foreclosure Defense Attorneys such as Ronald D. Weiss, P.C. are certified and trained to handle these situations.

If you are based in Long Island, New York City or Westchester County and are within the foreclosure process and have been affected by Hurricane Irene, visit or call the Law Offices of Ronald D. Weiss, P.C. for a free initial consultation.

While the bank or mortgage company more than likely “suffers” the most when a home is foreclosed upon — a foreclosure means 1) no monthly mortgage payment coming in and 2) an empty house that now must be sold or otherwise dealt with – foreclosures also carry considerable cost to the former homeowner.

As a law form that offers foreclosure help in Suffolk County, our practice sees the “real” effects a foreclosure can have on a homeowner’s finances and future well-being. Therefore, we do recommend that homeowners behind in their mortgages and/or struggling to pay their mortgages do everything in their power to avoid foreclosure.

For example, homeowners who go into foreclosure lose the tax benefits a mortgage provides. Homeowners who lose their home also lose any equity they may have accrued while sending in their monthly mortgage checks. In addition, the emotional cost to the family who goes into foreclosure is incalculable and can affect all members for years to come.

Additional costs in a foreclosure include fines and legal fees, as well as the loss (in money spent and in the enjoyment of) in any property upgrades the homeowners may have made in the property before the owners’ financial situation took a nosedive.

Yet too many of our potential clients think that foreclosure help in Suffolk County is the only option they have. They believe they won’t qualify for a loan modification because they’re “too far behind” in their payments or because they bought the home with little or no down payment and therefore now have little or no equity in the property.

In fact, tragically, many homeowners believe foreclosure solves the problem of liability. Yet, too often when we offer foreclosure help to Suffolk County residents we find that the former homeowner is still liable when the property’s sale price isn’t enough to cover the lien on the home. This remaining payment then becomes a judgment that stays attached to the former homeowner’s credit rating indefinitely.

But a loan modification can help a homeowner avoid foreclosure. Yes, a modification on a mortgage will reduce monthly payments/and or the interest rate of the loan, but a loan modification often can and does help a homeowner avoid foreclosure!

If you’re looking for foreclosure help in Suffolk County, contact the Law Firm of Ronald D. Weiss, P.C. We can help you decide if foreclosure truly is the best answer in your particular situation. We look forward to hearing from you!

No one should try to go through a foreclosure alone. Aside from divorce, the loss of a job, or the death of a loved one, going through a foreclosure probably is one of the most stressful and distressing experiences in a life. You definitely should look for foreclosure help in Nassau County — a good attorney can help you understand your options and help you decide your best course of action.

If you've been having trouble paying your mortgage, you may believe that losing your home is inevitable. Getting good foreclosure help in Nassau County with a reputable law firm will help you see that you do have options.

A good foreclosure attorney can guide you through the options that may be available to you. For example, you should know that your mortgage lender's main concern is to get its mortgage payments. It's not out to "get" you; it's not out to "take" your home away from you. You truly may be able to negotiate an alternative to foreclosure with your lender.

Look at the situation from the bank's perspective: if the bank forecloses on you, it doesn't receive your monthly mortgage payments. What's more, it now has an empty house on its hands and banks really don't want to be in the property management business.

This definitely can work to your advantage. For example, the law firm you engage for foreclosure help in Nassau County may be able to help you arrange for a short sale, which allows you to avoid foreclosure completely (and retain your credit rating). A short sale involves getting your mortgage lender to agree to acceptingless money than the value of your mortgage when you sell the home. You sell the home for less — sometimes for far less — than the value of the loan and give all the proceeds to your mortgage lender. You've thus avoided foreclosure.

Banks will accept short sales because they often get more back in a short sale than they do if they sell the home after it's foreclosed upon.

Other ways an attorney can offer foreclosure help in Nassau County is to suggest — and assist you with — a loan modification, refinancing or forebearance (which provides you with temporary relief from this financial obligation). You also could keep a foreclosure at bay by a pre-foreclosure sale, or a deed-in-lieu (in which you convey all interest in your home to the mortgage holder). You won't own the home anymore, but you at least won't have a foreclosure on your credit record.

If you engage the law firm of Ronald D. Weiss, Esq. for foreclosure help in Nassau County, we'll help you:

• Take a look at all of your options
• Help you avoid scams
• Take a look at and analyze your specific financial situation and offer you choices, and more.

We look forward to hearing from you!
 

Are you at risk of losing your home to foreclosure? If so, this could have devastating consequences on your financial future. In addition to losing your home foreclosure in Long Island will affect your credit adversely (making it very difficult for you to take out a car loan, for example) because your credit rating will be hit hard.

Foreclosure in Long Island can occur quickly after non-payment of your monthly mortgage — just 90 days! If you have missed a payment, contact your lender immediately to see if you different options may be available to you. These options could include:

• • Adjusting your payment plan.
• • Changing the terms and conditions of your mortgage (such as spreading payments out over a longer time period)
• • Refinance the loan. You'll need to find a "hard money lender" or a traditional lender who will consider refinancing your property. To do so you'll need to have a lot of equity in the home, as well as lots of steady income. These types of loans could result in higher monthly payments (many foreclosure loans have interest rates of more than 10 percent) but this could be a good move for you if you just need a fresh start with a new loan and lender.
• • An FHA loan. This is an option for you if your have an FHA loan. If so, a homeowner facing foreclosure in Long Island may be able to get a one-time loan from the FHA that will bring our current loan up to date. A lien will be placed on your property that you'll payout to get caught back up on the mortgage.
• • Sell your home to an investor or member of your family and rent the property from the new owner. Doing so allows you to stay in your home.
• • Sell the home in a short sale. This will work if your bank will accept less than the amount of your mortgage, thus allowing you to get out of the mortgage and avoid foreclosure.

If none of the solutions above will work for you, you should contact an attorney who specializes in foreclosure in Long Island. Our firm, Long Island Bankruptcy & Foreclosure, the Law Office of Ronald D. Weiss, P.C., can help you cull through your options and help you decide which the best one for you to pursue. We look forward to hearing from you and helping you avoid foreclosure!

With legal advice and representation from our lawyers, saving your home from Nassau foreclosure is possible. Even if your foreclosure goals are to eliminate the mortgage obligation and surrender your property, our attorneys experienced with Nassau foreclosure can protect your interests and help you understand the best options for your unique foreclosure situation.

All sorts of foreclosure situations exist, which is why people should understand foreclosure attorneys are important players on your side at any stage of the foreclosure process. We can help you when:

• • Foreclosure sale is already scheduled – even under emergency situations, we offer immediate legal counsel.
• • Foreclosure litigation has started but no sale date – as your Nassau foreclosure litigation begins, you’ll benefit from reviewing legal deadlines, documents and alternatives with an attorney.
• • Arrears just started – if your mortgage payments are late and you foresee continue problems with paying, you should do whatever you can to avoid a foreclosure action from starting. We can help you to present the bank with a reasonable offer to avoid foreclosure.

As our lawyers who assist with foreclosures in Nassau can attest, Nassau foreclosures aren’t going to end anytime soon. A recent Congressional report reaches the same conclusion, finding only about 750,000 households will be helped by the Treasury Department’s Home Affordable Modification Program rather than the three to four million projected. If you’re among the majority of financially troubled households and face a Nassau foreclosure, ease your burden by contacting an attorney experienced with Nassau foreclosures.

First, it’s important to remember you’re not alone—many Nassau County homeowners have found themselves in arrears on their mortgages and threatened by foreclosure. That’s why our attorneys represent clients in every type of Nassau foreclosure solution, and we encourage you to contact a lawyer from our office for a free consultation. You’ll learn foreclosure solutions are varied and involve many factors that our attorneys can help you navigate, including:

• • Negotiations (mortgage modifications, forbearance agreements and short sales)
• • Bankruptcy (chapters 13, 7 or 11)
• • Litigation (answering the Summons & Complaint and Emergency Orders to Show Cause)