Bank of America sucks! I really want to call them more names than that. I want to scream at the CRS and cuss him out.
As of Christmas Eve, The Neophyte Homestead will be no more. Apparently Bank of America wants all or nothing and is not willing to work with someone that got laid off, and can't find an equal paying job right now. The CSR told us that we had to quick sale. There is nothing else we can do. Good luck with that happening. We will have this months payment in a week, and than can pay some more in 2 weeks. But that isn't good enough for BANK OF AMERICA.
I am crying, we will attempt to make payments, but as I have learned in the past, if you don't pay it all, they send it back to you. My kids will have a sucky Christmas. I can't even afford to buy materials to make presents, All the money we bring in will go towards the house, and tying to save it. We're not going to make it to spring. I tried, I really did. I don't know what else I can do.
I have to go now. I don't know when I will be back.
Good luck to all of you on your dreams. I will be cheering for you. Even you, my reader from Bank of America. It's not your fault.
Merry Christmas!
42 comments:
Wow, I'm so sorry. We have a very similar situation with our house. Currently we can make payments but if my boyfriend gets laid off, that will probably be it. We thought they might be willing to work on slightly delayed or reduced payments if this happens, but it sounds like this has not been your experience.
It's ridiculous, really. They are fuelling their own demise. Many people will not even be able to do a short sale due to the market conditions right now and the bank will simply end up owning a gazillion homes with no one paying *anything*. It makes zero sense.
I found your blog a couple of months ago and enjoy it. I hope you find a way to continue blogging at a later date, or to continue with your payments somehow. I know what it is like. I am currently jobless as well.
What?!? They won't take a partial mortgage payment? How can they not do that? Have you really exhausted the appeals process and the chain of command? Have you asked about recasting your mortgage? How long have you had this mortgage?
Oh, Phelan. I'm so sorry to hear this. Can they really force you to sell so quickly? Doesn't the legal process take more time for them to foreclose on you? I thought with the state of the economy that foreclosures were sort of being backburnered for a three month grace period, at least over the winter.
I can't even imagine how upset you are.
Look, why don't you put a tip jar on your site. It won't fetch you enough to cover your mortgage, but it may soften the blow for your kids' Christmas.
My thoughts are with you.
I am so sorry. You're living the dream so much of wish we could pursue, and you've been such an inspiration.
Kate's idea is a good one. Certainly what you offer here is worth a little something to most of us ;).
You need to post a mailing address. I don't have much to spare but can send you something. I would rather help somebody who really needs a hand than just sit by and do nothing.
I'm serious, post your address, we need to help each other get through this cluster.
Please let us do something. It will be small and ineffectual but it will remind you that YOU ARE LOVED.
I'm praying for a miracle and sending lots of love your way.
Phelan: I have tears.
Phelan-we are having financial troubles too, and the banks are NOT willing to cut anyone any slack. At all. I am very sorry to hear this my friend...I don't even know what to say. We will miss you. Take Care. xoxo
Oh Phelan! I'm so very sorry.
I can't believe they won't work with you. :(
I'm praying for you and yours and many hugs.
Oh Phelan...this makes me so angry for you.
Who exactly is the freakin' gov't bailing out with the foreclosure/mortgage help? It was understood that if you got behind [as is your case] now would be the time to get help.
I am so ANTI Bank of America I could spit - but sometimes that is the hand we are dealt when getting a mortgage/car loan what not....and I feel for you.
Hang in there....I would contact your local representative or Senator to discuss this....they have websites and such...it could't hurt.
Good luck and please don't go too far away...you seem to have a lot of friends [me too!] that care.
Hugs
I am SO sorry! Please let others help you if we can. Like Meadowlark said, it may not work but it's worth the effort. I am a recent comer to these discussions but I value your experiences. There are lots of people out here who care what happens to you!
Oh, babe. I am so sorry! I think Katie had a great idea with the tip jar. We might not be able to fix the whole situation, but we would all like to help as much as we can...
(((hugs))))
Phelan, I'm a long time lurker and SO sad for you. I hate that "won't accept anything but full payment" crap. I agree about the tip jar or address. You have LOTS of loyal readers. You have been an inspiration to me for sure!
Oh, no! How much are you short by? We could probably front you something to help out until you're back on your feet.
Oh, Phelan, hang in there! We are your sisters (and brothers) out here and you are our community. I hope you consider the tip jar. We've been getting free advice and tips from you for years. It's time to pay up.
I'm sorry. Bank of America is stupid. Who do they think is going to buy it? Don't they know it's better for them to receive payments from you than for the farm to sit "for sale" for months?
That said, if it were me, I'd be so angry that even if they do repossess, or what ever it is they do, I'd be sorely tempted to "squat" on the farm.
I'd say start a collection- it sounds like there are many here who would love to help you.
Hang in there! They do NOT want to own your house along with the kajillion others that have already been foreclosed.
Make the effort for the short sale, if you like, but I suggest that you get on the phone with Bank of America and get names and extension numbers for everyone you speak with.
It's kind of stupid for them not to take partial payments. Talk about them cutting off their noses to spite their faces!
Don't stop with the CSR's. BoA has a loss mitigation department, call and insist they let you speak to someone in that department, or collections, or anyone besides the front line people.
Good luck!
Melissa in FL
Where half the houses on my block are for sale and empty.
Hon, it's not like you to give up this way. Don't just talk to one department. Poke and push until you fins other options. That CSR is just doing her job--trying to keep her job. And her job isn't to help you.
Call one of the Credit counseling services--there are free ones--I think one is called Consumer Credit counseling. They can usually work with your creditor and get you considerations that you can't get for yourself. It's a free call.
You may think about filing bankruptcy. If your place is homesteaded, they may not be able to take it--I'm not exactly sure how that works. That's a long shot.
Just because one person tells you to quick sell, don't give up. Make lots of people tell you and don't budge until you have explored all options.
oh phalen...i just don't know what to say. i cannot imagine. i am thinking of you and your family...please let us know how we can all help!
a
Phelan,
I am sorry to hear what you are going through. Not sure about how you feel about this but I think if you posted your address the blogging community would pull though and help you get through this. We all have had or will have tough times in our lives and we would never make it without the assistance of others. As others I would rather help one of our own than someone we do not know.
Give it some thought! Hugs, Kim
This is happening every day. I'm so sorry, but maybe it will work out differently than you expect. Chin up! You're a survivor.
You guys are wonderful. But I really don't know about a tip jar. I do have a cafepress that I haven't used in a long time. But other than that. . . I will go into the reasons why not later. Luv ya guys!
Those sons a bitches!@#@!@$()#!!
You guys are in my thoughts and prayers for what their worth.
All the best friend.
P~
I'm among a whole bunch of folks who don't want to let this happen to you. Thank you for letting us know what's happening. We really want to be good neighbors and find a way to help. We need each other!
Robbyn
Do talk to the consumer credit counseling people. I heard someone say that if you are working with them, that your house can't be foreclosed on - at least for a while. Good luck!
Phelan, I can certainly understand why you would hesitate to put up a tip jar....but if one of us had told you that we were in trouble, you'd probably want to throw in a few bucks yourself, right? This is just another way for us to try to take care of each other.
If YOU really feel it is time to walk away from the homestead, then you should do it. But you shouldn't do it just because some bank tells you to! So please, reconsider the jar.
Remeber Ma in the Grapes of Wrath, "Mister, I've learned one thing, and that's if you need something, go to poor people. They're the only ones who'll help."
So sorry to hear of your situation,all your blogging friends want to do a tip jar for you and your family. It might give you that extra time you need to get focus and fight the fight ahead of you. There will be many in this situation and I think if there are hands ready to help you, you should take their hand with pride and later pass that gift of love to help someone else.
Sue
Well... it's like this. If you won't put up a tip jar for you, do it for us. We need you. Especially me! :) I am much too green to be set adrift without your steadying influence.
There, now that I have sufficiently joked about it (as I do all things that upset me...)
I used to work for a non-bank mortgage company. And these people telling you there's nothing else that can be done are just lying to you. I know from experience that if you catch the right VP in the right department on the right day in the right mood, they can write off thousands of dollars to get a loan current. They can do virtually anything they want to. The information you are getting sounds like what the collections department does. It's not their concern to help you, or even to help the company. Their concern is to intimidate you into sending them money by any means necessary.
Please don't give up. Try to find someone there with the authority to make arrangements with you. I promise you, someone there can. Odds are they would rather have your money than your house!
I am so sorry to hear this! How awful, and just at Christmas!
I do hope you can work something out, as others have suggested here.
I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers.
Do you mind if I link this to my LJ? I'm sure some of my friends there will remember you from Bookcrossing, and will want to at least send vibes and prayers.
Phelan ~
I might be able to help. I have helped other people negotiate with teh lender to do a work out option or an inhouse re-fi. How far down the rabbit path are you? In Sedgwick county, you have about 90 days after the SS before you have to vacate. DO NOT VACATE EARLY!!! If you abandon your home, they can move the foreclosure process up faster. Get in touch with me via email at melissa dot schnieders at gmail dot com. Seriously, you have options ~ and don't let BOA cust srvc reps tell you otherwise. Hang in there, we're all rooting for you!!
I'm a long time lurker here, but I can't let this pass without comment. :( Oh Phelan, I'm so sorry. I hope one of your other commenters can help you out! I love your blog, and I definitely hope you'll keep sharing your life with us even if yall have to move.
I think you could set up a "tip jar" with out releasing your address. I've seen paypal buttons on other sites- maybe you could get one of those?
I am a lurker, too. There will probably be more folks right behind me who will post too. Phelan, don't do this to yourself. Please put out a tip jar, at least let us pay for the advice you have doled out on your blog :) I definitely consider it fair payment. People want to help, and this is the best example of pulling together...so please consider it!
Looks like you've gotten some really good advice from previous posters. I hope that you'll be able to find someone at the bank who will be willing to work with you (even if it takes some encouragement from your elected officials).
Anyway, two things:
we're crunching our numbers and figuring out how much we can send your way. So get that tip jar, or something going.
and--I need to know your waist size. Remember those new jeans I had when I came up to see y'all last? Well, I haven't worn them much, as I didn't take time to hem them, then I got pregnant, and then I lost all this weight, and I can walk out of them now. So, I need to know if they'll fit you so I can send them up.
Hang in there, doll, and I'll stay logged into yahoo , so ping me when you have a chance.
Phelan, I'm just now catching up on blog reading and hope things have changed since you wrote this! You are in my thoughts and prayers... wishing the best for you!!
Sitting at my desk with tears in my eyes. I do not see how if the banks are being bailed out, how they can refuse to work with you. It is your money, and mine, and Monica's and everyone elses that is bailing them out! My *&#*&, I am so pissed. My account is close to in the red (if I havent crossed over yet) but I had a good tip nite at the restaurant and will so donate to the tip jar. Love the goat and you too. You are so amazing!! My home is open to you, if you need a place to crash. It is in Hot Springs VA, four bedrooms so there will be some doubling up with the kids... Let me know if you are headed my way.
Oh man I wish I could help you all! Its like I am looking in a mirror. My husband has been on unemployment a while - end is 4 weeks from now.
I just got laid off last Wednesday. I was the main breadwinner.
We too homestead (see http://www.humblegarden.com ) and our mortgage is through BoA.
I do NOT want to tell them that I just lost my job... Not now that I have seen how they have treated you all.
My writing this is not helpful to you but I just wanted to tell you that I know EXACTLY how you are feeling.
I do not have any spare cabins right now but if I did you would be welcome. We are working on this for this summer to build a community of fellow homesteaders who have hit hard times - banding together to remain as independent and self-sufficient as possible.
I just have to find a way to hold on to what we have to make this dream possible - I knew the time was coming but I had NO idea it would come so soon.
((hugs))
Nika
http://www.humblegarden.com
http://www.peaknix.com
I'm so sad to hear this news. Keep calling them and working with them. Start at the top and quit talking to the low level people.
How can they not take a partial payment??That just boggles the mind.
((HUGS))
WHAT?! NO!! Booo!
You know, I bank with them, and I think I'm going to pull my money out and put it in a local bank around here. I've been thinking about doing it already, but this is the last straw.
At least my teeny, weensy drop in the bucket will no longer belong to them!
I hope this work out Phelan. I'm not a prayin' gal, but I'll be thinking about you a lot.
Phelan,
Hon, you're getting some really good advice here. Take it sister. Fight this fight. Do not let them take your farm. Keep calling, write letters that you send certified mail. Get past the little morons that call and talk to someone higher up, they should take whatever money you can give them. Record the calls if you're able to. Avoid that short sale.
I know you're smart enough to get out of this and Lord knows you're a hard worker. Now do it girl, save that farm! And call Dave Ramsey, he'll give you some great advice. Or go to his websight...please.
And sweetie your kids are going to be fine with Christmas, it's all about how you present it. My kiddos are getting some candy and we'll go ice skating...that's it. That's all we can do this year and it's enough.
Just saw this post, and wanted to make sure you've seen the resources here:
http://www.hud.gov/foreclosure/index.cfm
Every news story I hear talks about how banks aren't foreclosing now because they're doing too many. They WANT your money, even if it's a partial payment. Keep trying. Don't give up, my friend!
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