Worldwide Meetup Day happening in 879 other communities
HuffPost Mortgage Madness Meetup
Selected By: Rebecca Harrington
Message from Huffington Post:
Get together face-to-face with other Huffington Post readers who want to discuss the mortgage mess. Share stories, frustrations, and tips over coffee or drinks.
Here's how to get involved:
- Figure out where your Meetup will be.
- At the Meetup, introduce yourselves and start talking.
- After the Meetup, be sure to send photos and recaps for our follow-up story to submissions+underwater@huffingtonpost.com
HuffPost Meetups are for readers, by readers -- so start collaborating now!
12 attended
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Dan Weber -
Brian Sullivan
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Albert Jensen
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Shannon
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Dave Reed
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Mark Hansen
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Todd Michael Bushnell
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Chris Thompson
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Karen
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Marge
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Jake
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Laurie Hausner
Talk about this Meetup
This will be my first meet-up so I'll be doing a lot of listening.
Posted by Mark Hansen February 4, 2011Going forward, I'd like to work with other HuffPost readers and doers ('Huffers"?) in the Clark County Washington area. See you there!
Mark
In case anyone is still interested. There is a meetup that is posted on loansafe.org for Vancouver WA on March 24th, 2012. http://www.loansafe.org/for...
Posted by Aaron C March 13, 2012I would be interested in a meetup in Clark county.
Posted by Aaron C February 9, 2011I just booked Monday evening, Feb. 21st at 7pm for a Clark County meeting. The Venersborg Schoolhouse is at 24205 NE 209th St (Risto Rd) in Battle Ground. Bring cookies.
Posted by Jacqueline Freeman February 9, 2011Is this still on for tonight?
Posted by Aaron C February 21, 2011To everyone who attended last Tuesday night's meeting: I have a client who has helped me improve my credit rating by almost 100 points in less than a year. He's honest, hardworking and fair priced. He's been through it and now helps others to survive and improve their credit. A great track record. He works with us in the metro PDX area and in SW Washington. If you are interested, contact me at mark at americanunion dot biz. I'll have some of his cards with me at the next PDX and BG meet-up. Mark
Posted by Mark Hansen February 10, 2011Julie, you're an angel! Thanks.
Posted by Mark Hansen February 10, 2011Good advice, Karen. Thanks!! There must be something similar for those of us in Washington?
Posted by Mark Hansen February 10, 2011Mark
I contacted Nancie at Good Grief America today, and got nothing but grief from her. She claims her organization provides attorney referrals, but she would not connect me with an attorney. She revels in the role of "gatekeeper to the attorneys" and wanted way too much information to "pre-screen" me. Stay away! She has no right to ask such detailed questions. You can find a lawyer through many other sources such as avvo.com, Oregon Bar (http://www.osbar.org/public...
)
Posted by Karen February 9, 2011wow Karen that's so disappointing! i really thought they would be a good group. Based on their website they seemed to have some support. I emailed you and didn't get it back so hopefully you received it, and I would love to keep in touch offline. If you didn't get it yesterday email me at margepdxat gmailcom because we need to be able to communicate. thanks!
Posted by Marge February 9, 2011To Clark County residents: I (Camas-Washougal) attended last night's meeting in PDX and would like to be included in the next one you are suggesting. Al was there from Ridgefield.
Battle Ground is OK. How about Wednesday or Thursday evening the 16th or 17th? Or make it the week following? Ok with you, Jacqueline?
Posted by Mark Hansen February 9, 2011Mark
I'm tagging this onto all the Clark County posters hoping you'll get an email if it's a comment to yours. Monday evening, Feb. 21st at 7pm for Clark County meeting. The Venersborg Schoolhouse is at 24205 NE 209th St (Risto Rd) in Battle Ground. Contact me -- j88 at sisna dotcom
Posted by Jacqueline Freeman February 9, 2011I just booked Monday evening, Feb. 21st at 7pm. I hope that is a good time. We have a community center here that I have use of. The Venersborg Schoolhouse is at 24205 NE 209th St (Risto Rd) in Battle Ground. Bring cookies.
Posted by Jacqueline Freeman February 9, 2011Julie, maybe my wife and I can take you there and back if it's the BG meeting you want to attend? At that meeting, we can exchange emails and communicate that way and take it off this forum.
Posted by Mark Hansen February 9, 2011Mark
I can host a meetup in Battle Ground for the Clark County folks. How many people would be interested in attending? We had an article about us in the Columbian in the fall, how the bank "lost" near $20k in payments during our pre-modification and said we hadn't paid in a year. That put our home into foreclosure. They did "find" the payments and it got resolved but what a fiasco. Quite an education. If you want to attend, email me <[masked]> and I'll send meeting info.
Posted by Jacqueline Freeman February 9, 2011I was at the meeting in Portland last evening, but live in Battle Ground. Would welcome a meeting in this area. You can email me [masked] .. Al
Posted by Albert Jensen February 9, 2011the one thing that really screams to me about all this, is what intelligent, honest, hard-working people I've met through this sharing. These are not the deadbeats of society, but many people who just happened to buy a home at the wrong time in history but did everything they could, trying to make the best decisions.
Posted by Marge February 9, 2011Lastly -I believe through our working together find a way to expose the terrible situations, the heartbreak, the lack of options, and through collective action we'll help each other one by one to recover. I survived this only through my sheer stubborn irish passion for justice and the fact that in all my years in business I had never seen such illogical, irresponsible, and impossible practices. We must fight this through media exposure and finding ways to design relief for mainstreet. Shannon
Posted by Shannon February 9, 2011wow Shannon! so well said and your sense of this is obviously borne from a lot of pain and frustration. Thanks for sharing your story and I look forward to meeting you in person, and so sorry for everything you've experienced.
Posted by Marge February 9, 2011Years from now when hopefully the full story comes out I believe this time will be viewed as the largest illegal and avoidable transfer of wealth in our history - the stealing of the core asset of most Americans. What is worse is the impact on our health, our pride, our credit ratings for our futures, with and the fact that this is unraveling the fabric of our communities.
Posted by Shannon February 9, 2011Tax consequences and such are additional burdens for all.
and my other home after 9 mths - both companies agreed to sale terms within ten days of each other. Yestoshortsales.com in Washington was very helpful - and the critical factor was getting a favorable appraisal. Most mortgage companies make $120K or $100K more by foreclosing on your homes, and then reselling them for half of what our mortgages were to the new legions of deal buyers out there because many get a kick back from the government for relief deals made during the bailouts...
Posted by Shannon February 9, 2011In the end for about three weeks I stood at my fax machine every night and faxed a more and more threatening letter to expose the situation to the media to ten names of VP's and key names of internal loan negotiators at both of my lenders. The letter also was sent every night to 3 reporters (sacramento bee, Oregonian, Seattle times, the AG of OR, AG of WA, and finally the AG of the US, as well as merkley and three attorneys just for a final kicker. After 22 months of short sale hell...
Posted by Shannon February 9, 2011I am very sorry I couldn't be there tonight. I will be next time where-ever it is.
Posted by Shannon February 9, 2011Together I believe is the way we have to get through this. In the last year I experienced one foreclosure with Indymac and two short sale nightmares with two other lenders in order to save two other homes that are also underwater. I used 5 lawyers who had few options, 3 hud agencies, and finally two negotiators that got my two homes sold. In the process i made friends with the buyers of my homes. more next
Post 5
Posted by Marge February 8, 2011So, our story is probably close to your story. We did not decide when to meet again. Several of the people came from Washington and may want to meet over there next time. We definitely want to meet again, and I think what's most important that we took away, is we're not alone and maybe together, we can get through this somehow.
Thank you again so very much Marge for this whole recap. I shall keep checking here to see when the next meeting is and look forward to it. It takes courage to endure such a process whatever the choices/outcome. Having a support system of "peers"...is critical to being able to not only "thread the way" through such times, but recover one's life and thrive. Thanks again.
Posted by Sharon Labreck February 9, 2011Post 4 The banks have labeled these foreclosures "strategic defaults", said with a nasty undertone as if we're horrible people. As one person noted, one of the banks screaming this at our poor neighbors was shown to have walked away from a multibillion dollar headquarters because it was under water! I'm sure in that instance, they would say it was just "smart business" as I'm sure it was. It would probably be for many of us, but there's a stigma that our hearts and heads can't quite justify.
Posted by Marge February 8, 2011Using "guilt" to hammer homeowners into making what may be bad financial decisions, while at the same time deceiving their own investors/shareholders has become an art form in the banking industry. Remember these banks were given a MASSIVE BAILOUT for "their bad decisions" and paid for by the taxpayers whom they now label as "horrible people."
Posted by Sharon Labreck February 9, 2011Post 3
Posted by Marge February 8, 2011Several people are very much "under water" but not behind in payments, wondering how "smart" it is to hold onto the home. If they rented, their payments would be at least half their current payment. Do you keep paying the obligation, wondering if you'll ever owe less than your current mortgage when the homes next door, exactly like yours, are selling for over $100,000 less than you owe? Your family, especially older members, say you have a "moral obligation" to stay and pay your loan!
A home without equity is a rental w/ a mortgage. The moral obligation/stigma is a valid concern but it is an emotional response to a BUSINESS decision. One everyone struggles with today, the way people struggled with the stigma of divorce decades ago. Folks can find help/info at http://www.youwalkaway.com/
Posted by Sharon Labreck February 9, 2011They've been featured in major media from the Wall Street Journal, Time, Business Week, Forbes, 60 Minutes...so NOT "Fly-by-Night." I wish ease of mind & heart for all going through such.
I just did a recap but its a bit long for this space, so I guess I'll break it up into several posts, but here's a recap from tonight:
Posted by Marge February 8, 2011Post 1
What can I say? you missed a great group of people and the chance to feel like we're not alone. Everyone's story is different. We each told our story and what we hope to be able to do in the future. Or we said "I don't know what I'm going to do!"
Thank you Marge for your posting this recap. Please forgive any typos as it has been a long day & late. Am so sorry I missed meeting you & everyone who attended.
Posted by Sharon Labreck February 9, 2011I look forward to maybe meeting you at the next one!
Posted by Marge February 9, 2011Post 2
Posted by Marge February 8, 2011One person has already been foreclosed but hasn't moved out yet, and not sure what the next step is or when there will be a notice on the door and facing the unknown. Another person is wondering about how to combat the corporate greed that is the wall between us and our homes, and could there a legal remedy for us through class action and would anyone be interested in joining in?
Feeling such uncertainty as you described for those already foreclosed must be living a nightmare. My empathy goes out. The "wall of greed" is a finely tuned process, which selectively forecloses at a rate that the lender CAN AFFORD to reveal and absorb. Class actions are the only way to go, but must have a common "lender" as defendant. Those w/ BofA would be one, those w/ CitiBank another, Chase yet another, etc. I'm looking for Chase mortgagors in default on properties in OR. State laws vary.
Posted by Sharon Labreck February 9, 2011All of you down in Portlandia need to know about a HUGE group of people who are already organized. Google "Good Grief America" blog. They are all foreclosure victims fighting the banksters. Go Portlandia!
Posted by Karen Pooley February 8, 2011yes someone at the group gave everyone their name, thanks!
Posted by Marge February 8, 2011Since I'm unable to make tonight's meeting, will anyone be doing a "recap?"...I found you folks through HuffPo...not meetup. When I try to find this group through the meetup site...it isn't listed. (Thank gawd for "bookmarking.") Sorry if this seems a stupid question of "finding you again"... as I have signed up to receive the newsletter for updates. Thanks for sharing.
Posted by Sharon Labreck February 8, 2011a recap is a great idea. fyi, i had the same problem so i went to huffpo and searched " meetup mortgage " and it came right up. now everytime someone posts here I get an email so a great way to know when something is said or planned.
Posted by Marge February 8, 2011Disabled and live in Gold beach---love to meet you all, but that appears unlikely. We are plaintiffs against Countrywide/BofA in TILA and discrimination suit. Over two years of stress now, and our next step is mediation---the judge doesn't really want to be the one to bring the hammer down, so he strongly suggested mediation----I am afraid BofA has caused lots of physical and emotional damage....I will leave [masked] PSU alum 1974 Cheerful Tortoise still in business? John
Posted by john woodworth February 8, 2011Hi John sorry you're so far away. Maybe a group could start down your way? I'm sure its needed there too. It was a great meeting and I'm doing a recap for everyone soon. I will also add your name to our email list as we're meeting again and want to stay in touch.
Posted by Marge February 8, 2011I just found this and I'm too late to go tonight. Can someone post a recap and when the next meetup is... Thanks
Posted by Aaron C February 8, 2011Sorry I can't make tonight, bad back has laid me low despite strong desire to join in what I hope will be a movement to get real about our options: namely, walk away! We are transplants to OR which is a non-recourse state unlike MA where we can be pursued by bandit banks for 20 years. Options are clear: if enough of us bite the bullet, it will force the banks to treat us as humans, not numbers.
Posted by David Crandall February 8, 2011one thing I can tell everyone here that can't make it... the first thing you should do is contact your local HUD counselor. They are basically free (with a charge for a credit report) and they have clout. They sat right there and called my bank and got where I had NOT been able to get in months, and that started the ball rolling. Unfortunately my mod was turned down but I was told about an FHA Partial Claim which I'm happy to talk about. Has good and bad points we can compare.
Posted by Marge February 8, 2011and Sharon I would be happy to talk about the FHA partial claim. you can contact me offline at [masked]. Bottom line, there's a one-time claim that you don't qualify for, nor is there an appraisal. more below:
Posted by Marge February 8, 2011Its taking advantage of the mortgage insurance on FHA and they paid up all my back payments and fees, without any look at my credit or the home. Its just available for any FHA mortgage, one time during the loan. THe only restriction I've heard about is not every state can do it. Oregon can... problem? they added it onto my mortgage and now even more under water! argh!
Posted by Marge February 8, 2011I'm not going to be able to be at this one either. Next time for sure.
Posted by Dave Reed February 8, 2011Thought I would make it, but now in doubt. I would say that it is important to share, but more important to ORGANIZE. I am with Move On in Vancouver, and we have just reorganized to launch activities to influence change. If intersested email or call me. Perhaps you need another meeting on the Wa side of the reiver as it appears there are a number of folks on this side that wish to attend your meeting. Good luck and maybe I will see you at the next meeting.
Posted by Chris Thompson February 8, 2011Chris Thompson
[masked]
Good points! Thanks.
Posted by Mark Hansen February 8, 2011Mark
Hi all. I plan to attend tonight at Hopworks. I may have the darkest and most cynical view of /mortgage/MERS/fraudclosure mess. WellsFHM did not have legal right to pursue my foreclosure, which occurred 2 weeks ago. Still in home and plan to fight eviction. WFHM fought me tooth and nail to modify loan. Due to MERS assignments I'm sure they had no legal right to home. Our best shot is to get legal help!!! The gov., counselors, soft approach does not work. It's truly illegal what is going on.
Posted by Karen February 8, 2011Don't know if true or not...but MERS should be actionable...yet cost would require a class action suit & an attorney also willing to take on such. Fraud is rampant. Also sending a "demand letter" to your lender for copies of original paperwork to prove "interest" isn't viable in OR which follows title/deed & non-judicial. But I've yet to see attny; my knowledge base is just from what I've read others who've MERS mortgages. Wish I could make it tonight :( Hoping to find viable avenues is my goal.
Posted by Sharon Labreck February 8, 2011I don't know but I will make a sign that says Meetup. That's pretty generic. and my pic is on here so maybe you'll at least recognize me!
Posted by Marge February 8, 2011Can anyone tell me if there will be signs set up at Hopworks to direct us to a certain area?
Posted by Albert Jensen February 8, 2011Can we get a room or a more private spot at Hopworks? How will we know who is who? See you at Hopworks, then.
Posted by Mark Hansen February 8, 2011Mark
Hi Mr. Jensen, I'm very knowledgeable about this situation and can discuss viable options. Others have also indicated that they've become knowledgeable because they've learned on their own. my goal is for this to be informative, and not to commiserate. i can't speak for anyone else in the group.
Posted by Marge February 8, 2011also, have we decided that Hopworks is the place? see you there unless I hear otherwise!
Can anyone tell me if there is going to be a Huffington Post Moderator? Are we just going to meet and babble to one another and commiserate? I had planned to attend, but I am starting to question the purpose. Can anyone here enlighten me? Thanks Al Jensen
Posted by Albert Jensen February 8, 2011I can't make the meeting tonight (2/7) at Hopworks but am horribly upside down with the double whammy of reduced income. I've signed up...to stay updated about this group. People sharing information is the best start. "Nobody is as smart as all of us." Looking forward to sharing. Sharon
Posted by Sharon Labreck February 8, 2011I am so sorry to read about that Mr. Jensen. Maybe this meeting will generate some ideas to help. I pray so.
While I don't have enough knowledge to be a group moderator, perhaps someone with realty or mortgage loaning experience can start us out. So, should we be meet at Marge's office? Or, Hopworks?
Regardless of where, I believe positive group dynamics can eventually lead us to better thinking, better action and hopefully, better results for those who need it most.
Mark
Posted by Mark Hansen February 8, 2011do we have a group moderator? someone needs to make a decision and we all are having a hard enough time doing that with our homes! but we need to know where to go tomorrow nite!
Posted by Marge February 7, 2011we'd have to bring our own drinks, but if you want to meet at my office I could probably make it happen. Its at 1902 SE Morrison in the Belmont district and we could have a private space in the evening where everyone could feel comfortable sharing. I'm waaaay under water and would love to help Jeff Merkly get his billed passed and successfully implemented... that's one thing that would help us!
Posted by Marge February 1, 2011We are underwater over 100K and don't see any relief in the foreseeable future. Our goal was to sell home when daughter went to college and get something smaller. I am almost 70 and property getting to be too much to take care of.
Posted by Albert Jensen February 7, 2011my girlfriend's parents were sucked into getting huge loans in retirement (can anyone say "countrywide"- awful!) and now they're in the same boat and working on a mod with b of a for almost 3 years. I'm so sorry...
Posted by Marge February 7, 2011i don't drink but i do think we could be more focused in a quieter place... my opinion and its still available :)
Posted by Marge February 5, 2011Sure, your office works for me. Beer, while important, is not as important to me as helping save homes. I'd like to keep a clear head when listening!
Posted by Mark Hansen February 5, 2011That's just me. Mark
it looks like the hopworks is listed, i just noticed so that sounds good. see you on tuesday!
Posted by Marge February 4, 2011either place works for me...i do want to let you know it happens to be a real estate office, but it would be closed and i really am interested in talking about saving homes, not having to sell them (including me!). It might be a little more quiet than a brewery? but again, i'm open!
Posted by Marge February 4, 2011Yes, please let us all know where we will be meeting. Thanks!
Posted by Jake February 4, 2011