Tag Archives: foreclosure

Don’t Say I Didn’t Warn You: All the more important now

Posted by lisavb2012 on

As readers of this blog know, I recently published Don’t Say I Didn’t Warn You: Homeownership Decisions That Can Cost You Your House–a bit of a departure from the fiction works I talk about on this blog. The book compiles lessons I learned over 14 years of foreclosure prevention practice in a legal aid setting. It discusses strategies to avoid setting yourself up for future foreclosure or related problems (and the “why” of it all) across many topics: forward mortgages, reverse mortgages, HOAs, property taxes, title issues, second mortgages refinances, and more. My goal was to enable people to make more informed decisions earlier on so they didn’t make themselves vulnerable to problems later on.

Given all the uncertainties and risk going on of late–and the dismantling of consumer watchdog agencies–the information is all the more important for people to have in their hands, to protect themselves to the extent possible. Not only that, I suspect rescue programs are going to be harder to find. I know in Washington State, for example, the Homeownership Assistance Fund that came into being to tamp down foreclosures in the COVID crisis is ending new applications today. Many other states had already expended their funds and closed to new applications a while ago.

Point being, it’s all the more important to understand the risks of various mortgage products and related subjects, to better protect yourself way up front. No one can predict a catastrophic illness or long-term job loss, but I know from experience there are homeownership decisions that can pretty reliably set you up for foreclosure later. These can often be avoided from the get-go. And that’s the point of the book.

It’s available in ebook and paperback on Amazon, as well as ebook on Barnes & Noble.

Now Available at Barnes & Noble…

Posted by lisavb2012 on

My new book, Don’t Say I Didn’t Warn You: Homeownership Decisions That Can Cost You Your Home, is now available on Barnes & Noble in eBook form, as well as Amazon in eBook and paperback.

So, for those who prefer Barnes & Noble, have at it!

Barnes and Noble

Amazon

My new book is live–not my usual fare

Posted by lisavb2012 on

On this blog, I’m known for my dystopian fiction. But I have another side, the side that spent 14 years in legal aid as a foreclosure prevention staff attorney. I felt the need to consolidate into book form what I learned in that time in the hopes readers could benefit from what I had to say.

While my work involved resolving foreclosures that had already begun, along the way I observed various patterns. Though not all foreclosures are preventable or foreseeable, there are some actions/inactions that reliably lead to a heightened risk of foreclosure–and other issues–down the road. Other issues like messed-up title that creates problems for heirs, negative equity that prevents you from refinancing or selling (without a short sale and permission from your lender, that is), and more. So it was fiendishly difficult to choose a title that said everything I needed to say about the contents of the book. It isn’t solely about foreclosure. It’s about foreclosure prevention well ahead of any default, at opposed to active foreclosure defense. And I also wanted to telegraph that I deliberately wrote it in what I hope is an accessible, non-legalese way that won’t cause readers to slump into a coma of boredom.

Now it’s live on Amazon:

Don’t Say I Didn’t Warn You: Homeownership Decisions That Can Cost You Your House (eBook/Kindle)

And it comes in paperback , too!

I really hope folks read it, take it to heart, and make more informed decisions way, way upstream to avoid falling into foreclosure or other avoidable homeownership-related problems later on.

Prevention is far better than cure, believe me.