What does $1 buy you in housing - hang onto your hats - HUD to the rescue

IMAGE: HUD


After searching for homes and talking in person to the people at HUD about foreclosures and recovery, I learned a few things. HUD Secretary Donovan Announces 2.1 Million in New Grants for Seven Homeless Programs in Arizona.  Grants are to assist the situationally homeless and not chronically homeless. Grants are administered by the states through local progams.


Here is the link for Arizona resources.  If you live in another state just click on this link to find information. 

WHAT DOES $1 BUY YOU IN HOUSING????

 HUD has many programs such as the Good Neighbor program designed to help firefighters, teachers and other public service workers substantial discounts in housing.  We are talking 50% discounts.  There are also discounts for Hurricane Evacuees. Programs exist for Indian (section 134), Aids, and for Public Housing residents. In addition each state has programs available such as the information found on HUD's Arizona homeownership page.  There is also the new EHLP program but it is not taking applications. But the program that seems the most exciting is the $1.00 program. 


Hang onto your hats it is not as good as it sounds. After a cursory reading on the program I determined to find some homes that fit the criteria. If you are low income,  and can find a home that has sat on HUD's site for over 6 months, it appeared that you could buy it for $1.00.  I can no longer find that wording and have included the official wording found today on the HUD website, at the end of this posting. 


After talking to HUD officials it seems that only government agencies such as the city of Phoenix or the counties or states can buy these homes for $1.00.  The government then rehabs the homes and sells them on the market.  Yup government helping the low income again (not). 


Here is the information if you are wanting to learn about this program and address your local administrators.  The wording might make you think it is available to homeowners for $1.00 but the revisions clarify a bit that only governmental agencies can buy these $1.00 homes. 

About Dollar Homes

HUD's Dollar Homes initiative helps local governments to foster housing opportunities for low to moderate income families and address specific community needs by offering them the opportunity to purchase qualified HUD-owned homes for $1 each.

Dollar Homes are single-family homes that are acquired by the Federal Housing Administration (which is part of HUD) as a result of foreclosure actions. Single-family properties are made available through the program whenever FHA is unable to sell the homes for six months.

By selling vacant homes for $1 after six months on the market, HUD makes it possible for communities to fix up the homes and put them to good use at a considerable savings. The newly occupied homes can then act as catalysts for neighborhood revitalization, attracting new residents and businesses to an area.

Local governments can partner with local nonprofit homeownership organizations or tap into existing local programs to resell the homes to low- and moderate-income residents of the community.

To find out if properties are available for sale in your community, visit HUD Homes and click on your state.

 Recovery Act Grants:  

*CREATIVE COMMONS

HUD AWARDS $118 MILLION IN RECOVERY ACT GRANTS  (AZ). Special grants were awarded on April 28th to help states combat rural homelessness. $2.1 Million was awarded to Arizona and are accessed through 7 existing homeless programs.

House Hunting, Fighting Foreclosure and Government Grants for the Homeless

Well the banks successfully evicted us after our year long battle.   Using last year's judgement instead of going through the forcible detainer (eviction) again.  Bankruptcy for some will still be a good option for fighting through the legal system. Make sure if you go through bankruptcy that you learn as much as you can FIRST, or have a very trustworthy person guiding you.

For other people doing a  notary complaint process and documenting the fraud for a lawsuit will be a better answer.

Going through this process has taught us a lot.   Find your alternative housing long before you end up evicted.  It is not dishonest to plan ahead, the banks are a business and all is considered as contract law. It is not dishonest to plan to take care of your family while fighting the fraud and  negotiating with the banks to honor THEIR contracts. For instance have they fulfilled the obligation for the qualified written request within 90 days? Have they committed TILA violations, have they broken Fair Debt Collection Act? Were you robo signed?  There are many FRAUD issues.  Make sure to check out showmetheloan.net or the blogs listed in my blog roll to the right to educate yourself on more issues.  You can also check past blogposts on this blog using search for key terms.

REAL ESTATE: LARGEST GOVERNMENT LAND GRAB

Right now we are seeing a new thing on listings for homes for sale by banks.  In our search for cheap housing we found that HUD is awesome source of free housing - FOR INVESTORS.  The government in it's land grab has taken over most loans from banks via Fannie and FHA etc.  They account for about 63% of real estate listings.  This means that the government is the direct benefactor of  "non performing assets".  Remember these mortgages were sold to investors already (money made) then again were paid for with insurance funding for investors and insurance when house was foreclosed on.   Now the government owns them free and clear and unlike a straightforward real estate advertise, buy and close - they are holding out for highest bidder.   We found this out when looking for a 37,000 piece of property with trailer that was advertised as available.

So essentially the government is grabbing homes with a call to increase the foreclosure process, then they are holding up people from investing outright in a new home by bid competition-AND on the other hand they are spending money to fight the homelessness they are inflicting on people.  Remember in foreclosure you have 5 days to get out, once the bank notifies you. Technically once the auction or trustee sale has happened - you are homeless, until you can have it overturned.   The government is in control of about 63% of those foreclosures, they could stop the train there, instead they are granting millions of dollars to homeless programs, including a new 16.4 million to combat rural homelessness.   Hard to say this but we are now one of the homeless, partially due to the lack of action by government in dealing with the fraud.  AS with any other government process, funding will be hard to access by those who need it. 

But I digress, back to the house hunt. We went and talked with neighbors of the advertised home,  who told us that the home had sold one month ago for several thousand over the asking HUD price. The happy new owners and paid out cash total of something like 63,000, obtained keys and were waiting for the green light to move in or rent it out. We quickly learned that HUD advertises one price, then holds out and extends the listings, waiting for highest and best cash offer.  INVESTORS are snapping up the medium priced properties. Thank you government for not stopping robo signing, fraud and correcting wrong - but for taking advantage and lining the  coffers of the governmental 'spendaholics'.  Does this type of thing sound familiar? Fix and Flip prior to the housing crash?

BANKS DEFENSIVE ADVERTISING

On Trulia the real estate owned by banks (REO) is being advertised in a very defensive and inaccurate statements.   HERE is a sample wording from one listing:

Bank Repossessed. This property has completed the foreclosure process and is now owned by the foreclosing lender, which took title to the property for an estimated consideration (loan balance plus other fees and costs). Foreclosing lenders are often motivated to sell bank-owned properties (also known as REO, or Real Estate Owned) quickly because they are non-performing assets. Please register for a free trial with RealtyTrac to access complete information for this property, including full address, foreclosure details, lender information, and more. 

If you have been following this blog and others you will know that the foreclosure process is not complete - there is the return of the security instruments according to UCC 3 -501 B.  There are many lawsuits and possible clouded title.  Chain of title could still be compromised.  They have taken title alright - stolen in many cases from owners who have not questioned if all payments were applied to the mortgage or if they were target of toxic loan or robo-signer.   The fact that they are advertising this is troublesome to many in the t foreclosure fight arena.

WE ARE WORKING ON IT!

Now we are back to square one working on our legal processes, while looking for a place to house us for the next six months to one year.   We are also rebuilding our business.   WE are in temporary situation and life is good.  If you hear of a great property with cheap housing for under 50K let us know.. or a home to care-take while the homeowners are fighting their foreclosure. :)  Let us know how your foreclosure fight is going by leaving a comment.

Banks ordered to make things right with homeowners!

The article exerpt below gave me pause as I read the words,  OF COURSE the banks are hiring the auditors.... I guess this means that they will find no wrong doing, just as they have announced before that they have not done anything wrong.  OH YES, the fox is in charge of the chicken coop.   This could mean good news IF things go honestly. With only 45 days to complete MILLIONS of examinations - well one doubts they will be accurate.  Time will tell what happens.  This announcement came one day after our judge refused to issue an emergency TRO hearing regarding eviction.  sad.

To read full larticle: >>>>http://www.aolnews.com/story/govt-orders-15-lenders-to-reimburse/1755361/

Citibank, Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase and Wells Fargo, the nation's four largest banks, were among the financial firms cited in the joint report by the Federal Reserve, Office of Thrift Supervision and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency.

The Fed said it believed financial penalties were "appropriate" and that it planned to levy fines in the future. All three regulators said they would review the foreclosure audits. Under the agreements reached, the lenders and servicers have 45 days to hire an auditor and will "remediate all financial injury to borrowers caused by any errors, misrepresentations, or other deficiencies." There is no minimum or maximum dollar amount identified.

Personal Update

Well it finally happened the bank's lawyers decided to move ahead with eviction, despite having no standing, robo-signed paperwork and never following the posting laws to begin with.  The courts would not schedule an emergency TRO hearing.... Even though the foreclosing bank has been settled with by many state attorneys for the same issues as our foreclosure... even with outstanding legal issues being resolved by state entities - the court judge would not even HEAR us let alone grant the TRO so that we could complete the lawsuit while living in the home.


OH well.  There is nothing wrong with living  in a 14 ft. travel trailer.   People do it for vacation all the time.  People lived in wagon trains, caves, and even in tents and teepees.   We are not afraid of  a little dirt, lack of hot water - etc.   We actually have it good compared to some. We live near some friends that are awesome cooks. Our kids are only 20 -30 minutes away/  The dogs are being housed by my daughter's friend, and they are not seeming to miss us much - with all the new adventures.



We did not expect this at this time or we would have had an alternative ready to go.  We are looking for an inexpensive home and hope to be resettled within two to three months, depending on what it takes to get in a new place.   Right now we are discovering things about HUD we never wanted to know and the apparant land grab going on by government appears to be just fine and  dandy with those NOT in foreclosure.  Oh well, their house may be next. Meanwhile the "gov" has come out with programs to help those u nemployed homeowners. When they will address underwater homeowners is any one's guess.

We found a great manufactured home with lots of land and a  garage.  Enough room for us and great price.  Problem???? Y UP    HUD -   Hud doesn't just sell homes, it sells them to whoever is willing to pay the most.  So speculators are coming in and snatching up all properties with 20% down, lowest payments and just a couple thousand extra dollars almost guarantees the bid win.  It's all smoke and mirrors - the same thing that happened before is happening now.  I have no problem with it, other than the price should be set and first come, first served.  Just my thoughts on how government should sell property. 

Back at the ranch - our internet sucks and it will cost 80 bucks a month to get what most of you get for 20-30 a month.  1.5 mg download speed.  Remember this is rural internet and the "gov" just gave out huge grants to help develop internet for rural areas... the result is awesome - decent internet at an obscene price. Have to love corporate greed.

Be well and help support this blog by sending info or commenting.  THANKS will update soon

Radioactive Japan seawater registers 'several million times' legal limit - The Daily Breeze

Radioactive Japan seawater registers 'several million times' legal limit - The Daily Breeze: "'It is extremely important to implement a plan to reduce the outflow of contaminated water as soon as possible,' he said.

Fukushima is not a major fishing region and no fishing is allowed in the immediate vicinity of the plant, but fishermen in the prefecture fret that demand will collapse for catches elsewhere - whether or not they are contaminated.

'Our prefecture's fisherman have lost their lives, fishing boats, piers and buildings' in the earthquake and tsunami and now must suffer the added effects of radioactive runoff from the plant, local fishermen's federation head Tetsu Nozaki said in a letter faxed to the company."

Belial Bank Emergency Conference Call – Discussing MERS Bailout Legislation | Q-Law Blog

NOTE: The following intro post is from q-law and is written as a SATIRE piece. I spent some time on the phone with the gentleman that wrote this piece. Please take time to click on the title links and read the full articles. ALSO leave a comment to encourage and support the foreclosure defense efforts!

Some of the terms may be new to you. Here are a few definitions, and thanks to Phillip for explaining a few of the terms! : Belial Bank is HELL. B.L Zebub is the DEVIL. Liz Penden is LEGAL NOTICE to cloud title, M. T. Remick is the TRUST vehicle (hope I have that right). 666 is the mark of the beast (biblical prophecy)

Belial Bank Emergency Conference Call – Discussing MERS Bailout Legislation | Q-Law Blog:


 "B.L. Zebub: “OK everyone, listen up. The last time we had a conference call, there seemed to be an undue amount of bickering and finger-pointing between Liz Pendens, representing the title industry, and Dee Faulting representing the lender servicing industry. By the way, Dee, you outdid yourself this month. I heard some of our employees talking about how you saved up thousands of default notices and sent them all out on March 15th. For the Shakespeare aficionados on this call, that’s the “Ides of March”, which, as the soothsayer predicted, was a very bad day for Julius Caesar. Brilliant, Dee, mixing business with pleasure again! Anyway, to save time, I will identify those in attendance besides Dee and Liz. Of course, my trusty “Della Street” is here, Lucy Furr, will be taking notes again for us today. As before, there are to be no recording devices used – we only turn them on to secretly record frustrated"d >>>>KEEP READING .

Other posts you may enjoy!
A Bad Day At The (Foreclosure) Mill | Q-Law Blog: 


Her: “What do you mean?  I remember how happy you were to be selected to work for the Firm.  You said they did legal work for Big Banks.  That sounds pretty impressive to me.  And they do throw great parties!”

Him: “Well, no one ever told me that I’d be supervising a bunch of secretaries and paralegals, teaching them the fine art of speed signing.  And whenever I go to court these days, I’m getting my head handed to me on a platter.  I can see how those judges are looking at me…like some sort of demon.  First, it was Rinegard-Guirma; then Burgett; then Allman; then Ibanez; then McCoy; and now Agard.  Hell, some of these cases the banks are losing have been brought by pro se’ litigants without any attorney. How’d you like to lose a case to someone representing themselves? I’m starting to feel like a violist" >>>> Keep Reading

Belial Bank Telephone Conference Discussing MERS and the McCoy Case | Q-Law Blog: "[Caveat:  As recited on my website, Q-Law.com, unless expressed otherwise, all contents are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of my clients.  This post is for entertainment purposes only.  Truth, like beauty, is in the eyes of the beholder. The satire is mine. - PCQ]

As succinctly stated by C.S. Lewis in his Preface to The Screwtape Letters, ” I have no intention of explaining how the correspondence which I now offer to the public fell into my hands.”

CEO: “OK, do we have everyone on the line?  Why don’t we do brief introductions, if we could.  I’m not sure everyone is familiar with each other.  I am B.L. Zebub, President and CEO of Belial Bank. I speak for the Big Banks on behalf of our lending industry.

Voice #1: “Well, OK, I’ll go next.  My name is Lucy Furr, and I’m Assistant to the President.  I work closely with BL.  I’ll be taking notes of this phone conference.  Just so you know, no one should make notes or take any recordings of this conference.  My notes will be compiled into a summary, and after review and approval by BL, they will become our ‘official record.’  However, this conversation is intended to be absolutely confidential and the summary"...>>>KEEP READING



Miscellany | Q-Law Blog: "Chapter 666 – Loan Mod Callers

This Chapter describes how all loan modification phone inquiries at Belial Bank are to be handled, from the first intake call to the last.  No departures from this policy are permitted without the written consent of our bank president, B.L. Zebub.  If you are unable to reach B.L., please contact his personal assistant, Lucy Furr for further instructions.

1. Adopt a tone of complete disinterest. Do not permit yourself to interact with the caller on a personal level.  Avoid at all costs any tone of sympathy, empathy, or compassion.  Words and phrases such as, “I understand,” “Gee, that sounds horrible,” or “Tell me how I can help,” are to be avoided at all cost.  Do not address the caller by their first name.  If any attorney calls, address them as “Attorney ________ “(insert last name).  This approach sends the message"
>>>>> KEEP READING

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1372538/Are-government-microwave-mind-control-tests-causing-TV-presenters-brains-melt-down.html

In four high-profile cases, the latest involving fast-talking Judge Judy, the presenters have started off speaking properly but have then descended into undecipherable nonsense - looking confused and unstable. 
The frequency of the 'attacks' - and the fact that recorded examples of the mental meltdowns have been popular on websites - has led to conspiracy theorists pointing the finger at shadowy government experiments.

Latest victim: Judge Judy Sheindlin had to stop her courtroom TV show on Wednesday after descending into nonsensical language

A popular theory being circulated online blames the U.S. Military’s supposed research into using microwaves as a mind control weapon.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1372538/Are-government-microwave-mind-control-tests-causing-TV-presenters-brains-melt-down.html#ixzz1IU2lr8c4

Preview: The Next Housing Shock - 60 Minutes - CBS News

Preview: The Next Housing Shock - 60 Minutes - CBS News: "As more and more Americans face mortgage foreclosure, banks' crucial ownership documents for the properties are often unclear and are sometimes even bogus, a condition that's causing lawsuits and hampering an already weak housing market. Scott Pelley reports, Sunday, April 3, 7 p.m. ET/PT."

Do you own your own home? HOW do you know? If you bought a foreclosed home at auction, you need to watch this. If you are being foreclosed on, you need to watch this. If you are already evicted, you need to watch this. Get together some people and watch this, send an email reminder and share the information. America's right to own property, the right to transactions without fraud is crucial. We are losing freedoms daily. This affects you. In past posts about foreclosure we have talked of the fraud, the robo signing, and notary complaints. Use search to find information.

From 60 minutes video: As more and more Americans face mortgage foreclosure, banks' crucial ownership documents for the properties are often unclear and are sometimes even bogus, a condition that's causing lawsuits and hampering an already weak housing market. Scott Pelley reports, Sunday, April 3, 7 p.m. ET/PT.

Read more: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7361457n#ixzz1IQDbG06j

Video Trailer:

UPdates on Japan: Video Blue Flash, Partial Nucledar Meltdown , Rescued Dog

Dog rescued 3 weeks later



Blue flashing light see above nuclear reactor

Banks to AGs on Servicing Fraud: Drop Dead - Credit Slips

Banks to AGs on Servicing Fraud: Drop Dead - Credit Slips: "Here's the banks' counterproposal for a servicing fraud settlement. I can sum it up in two words: drop dead. Or two letters: F.U. This proposals is so pathetically thin that it's not a good faith counterproposal. This document only deals with servicing standards--nothing in it whatsoever about penalties, modification quotas, etc. But even on servicing standards it is a bunch of empty promises to have internal controls and try harder.

The first point about this counterproposal is simply to note what's absent from it:

(1) nothing about principal reductions

(2) nothing about second liens and conflicts of interes"

Lawsuit Reveals How a Middleman Is Blocking Mortgage Modifications for Homeowners - ProPublica

Lawsuit Reveals How a Middleman Is Blocking Mortgage Modifications for Homeowners - ProPublica: "No one appears to have tried to sort out this mess until 2009, when OneWest requested that HSBC, the trustee, allow modifications. The administration had just launched the Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP), which pays servicers and investors subsidies to encourage affordable modifications. Under the program, modifications occur only when they will likely bring a better return to investors than foreclosure.

But HSBC refused to authorize any modifications, saying the contracts prohibit them. It's obligated to act in investors' interest, and it feared getting sued by those who didn't want to cut homeowners' payments. The dispute dragged on for months. Ultimately, HSBC offered to allow modifications only if OneWest accepted the risk of getting sued by investors, but OneWest wouldn't.

OneWest was in an increasingly difficult situation, it says in its suit. It faced potential suits from investors if it modified loans, and if it didn't, homeowners in the pool might sue.

In late June 2010, with HSBC still not budging, OneWest filed suit, asking a federal judge to decide whether modifications should or should not be allowed."

Radioactive Steam and Water released: Worse than Chernobyl Greece has Earthquake

Greece has experienced an earthquake measuring 5.9


There is NO SAFE level - The Health Effects of Radiation: "There is no safe threshold" - John Gofman Interview / Synapse v.38
www.mindfully.org

Offshore radioactive 300 thousand times the normal readings in the ocean near Japan.  Leak is still not found.  This is not great folks. 

update by video - boring but informative:

2 hundreds tons of radioactive water and steam per day is being released into the enviroment

Update on Fukushima: Discussion of High Level Radiation Releases and the Previous "Worse Case Senario" Planned for by The Indust from Fairewinds Associates on Vimeo.

DAMAGED REACTOR VIDEO

Radioactive boars in Germany a legacy of Chernobyl - CSMonitor.com

Radioactive boars in Germany a legacy of Chernobyl - CSMonitor.com: "Radioactive boars: A quarter century after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in the Soviet Union carried a cloud of radiation across Europe, these animals are radioactive enough that people are urged not to eat them."