The Bankruptcy Courses: Credit Counseling and Debtor Education
In most bankruptcy cases, the main purpose of filing is to obtain a discharge. The bankruptcy discharge is essentially a legal injunction against the enforcement or collection of debts. To obtain your bankruptcy discharge, you must complete two separate courses: credit counseling and debtor education. Via different providers, you can take these courses either online […]
What Will Happen to My Timeshare in Bankruptcy?
I frequently have bankruptcy clients who own timeshares with Blue Green, Marriott, Starwood, Westgate, Wyndham, Hilton, Powhatan, Playa Linda, etc. These clients often want to know: What Will Happen to My Timeshare in Bankruptcy? Have you ever seen the movie The Queen of Versailles? If you own a timeshare, you should give it a look. The […]
Short Sale vs. Foreclosure in Virginia
If you can’t pay your mortgage and take no action, chances are good that you are going to lose your home. Default on a mortgage invariably leads to foreclosure in Virginia. However, foreclosure is usually the very worst possible alternative. Whenever possible, it is far better to consider other options, including arranging a short sale. […]
Student Loan Discharge in Virginia
According to American Student Assistance, around 60 percent of all students attending college or pursuing higher education borrow money to pay for tuition. As of 2012, the average student loan balance among all age groups was $24,301, with around a quarter of borrowers owing more than $28,000. These high student loan balances are a major […]
You Can’t Go to Jail for a Debt
A long time ago, when our country was very young, the U.S. had separate prisons for people who could not repay their debts. We called these jails “debtors’ prisons.” Today, we think it preposterous to throw someone in jail for simply owing a debt. After all, how would someone earn the money to repay a […]
Can I Keep Living In My Foreclosed Home?
When a mortgage lender forecloses on a property in Washington, DC, the process is not quick. The lender must usually obtain a judicial foreclosure order. And the lender must follow advertising and notification requirements. From beginning to end, the process can take many months or even years before the property actually goes up for auction. […]
What is a Deficiency Judgment?
A deficiency judgment is a court judgment that a mortgage lender gets against a homeowner after a foreclosure. Many states prohibit deficiency judgments, but Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia all allow them. Different states impose different limits on when a lender can pursue a deficiency judgment. But the basic premise is the same. […]
Can Refinancing Stop Foreclosure?
If you default on your mortgage, the mortgage lender will foreclosure on your property. The bank will enforce its legal right, as a secured creditor, to repossess and sell the property. At foreclosure auction, the lender attempts to recover the money that is owed on the mortgage. Not only can you lose your home, but foreclosure […]
What is a Foreclosure in Virginia Like?
Mortgage lenders use the legal process of foreclosure to recover the unpaid balance of a mortgage by selling real property. Foreclosure can severely damage a homeowner’s credit. And foreclosure can be devastating to a family that loses their home. Foreclosures can be originated by mortgage lenders, homeowners associations, or judgment creditors when the homeowner is […]