Your Mortgage & Loan Servicing Rights
- Qualified Written Request (QWR) Guide – Learn how to formally request information or dispute errors with your mortgage servicer.
- Error Resolution Notice Guide – A step-by-step walkthrough for correcting accounting or servicing mistakes.
- The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act (RESPA) – Understanding the federal law protecting homeowners during the life of a loan.
- Loss Mitigation Application Checklist – Essential documents needed when applying for loan modifications or repayment plans.
Title Fraud & Deed Theft Protection
Learn about H.I.S. Title Monitor →
- Identifying Deed Theft & Title Fraud – Recognizing the warning signs of unauthorized property transfers.
- H.I.S. Title Monitor Description – Proactive monitoring services designed to help homeowners stay informed about newly recorded documents affecting their properties.
- Chain of Title Verification – How to trace your property history through county record databases.
- Public Filing Audit Guide – Best practices for reviewing recorded instruments for suspicious activity.
Homeowner Resources
Understanding your rights, protecting your property, and navigating the complexities of mortgage servicing, foreclosure, title records, and consumer protection.
Knowledge Is Power
Foreclosure Prevention & Defense
- Foreclosure Timeline Overview – Understanding the legal stages of foreclosure from missed payment to public sale.
- Notice of Default (NOD) vs. Notice of Sale – Knowing the difference and identifying critical deadlines for action.
- Defensive Research for Homeowners – How to audit your own public filings for procedural errors or missing assignments.
- Reinstatement & Payoff Guide – How to request official figures to stop a pending foreclosure sale.
Consumer Protection Laws Every Homeowner Should Know
- The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) – Your rights when dealing with third-party debt collectors.
- The Truth in Lending Act (TILA) – Transparency requirements for loan terms, fees, and disclosure statements.
- Fair Housing Act Compliance – Protection against discrimination in housing-related transactions.
- State-Specific Foreclosure Statutes – A guide to finding the relevant laws governing your local jurisdiction.
Official Resources
Key Government Agencies
consumerfinance.gov – Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB): Guides on mortgage servicing rules and how to submit complaints against financial institutions.
hud.gov – U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development (HUD): Information on avoiding foreclosure, finding HUD-approved housing counselors, and fair housing rights.
ftc.gov – Federal Trade Commission (FTC): Resources for identifying and reporting mortgage relief scams, deed theft, and consumer fraud.
Quick Reference
Homeowner Glossary
Amortization – The process of paying off a debt over time through regular payments of principal and interest.
Deed in Lieu of Foreclosure – A process where a homeowner voluntarily transfers property ownership to the lender to avoid foreclosure.
Escrow Account – An account held by a mortgage servicer to pay property taxes and homeowners insurance on behalf of the borrower.
Loan Modification – A permanent change to one or more terms of a mortgage loan to make payments more affordable.
Robo-Signing – The practice of financial institution employees signing large volumes of legal documents without verifying the information within them.
Servicing Transfer – When the right to manage a mortgage loan (collecting payments, managing escrow) is sold from one institution to another.