By Shirin Sharkawi, Author, Advocate, Talk Show Host

July 4^th, 2011 –  We should all wish a Happy July 4^th  To all the CEO’s and  executives of our banking system that have jet away on a weekend retreat, while many American Families think twice about spending money on a simple barbecue or an outing with friends. As I drove around my community, what were once streets packed with cars headed to the nearby fireworks, seemed like an early Sunday morning.  Fireworks canceled, families struggling, still I saw hope on the faces of those who managed to bring the family together at the local park and beaches.   

I can't help but think this July 4th weekend  is  about what has happened to the state of this country and about the racism that is embedded into our financial system!

The time of Whites ONLY water fountains maybe gone, but racism is alive and well, infused into the financial system.  The same system that encourages us to go for the American Dream is the same one that tells us the color of our skin dedicates the cost of that dream. It is infused so deep that you can hardly notice it, or can you?  Even when we do, there still seems to be boldness to the way the financial system and banks tell us all to go to hell.   It shackles communities and takes them out of a system of prosperity,  moves them into one of despair and struggle, where the simple things like a home of their own becomes next to impossible to keep.

I started down the journey of Advocacy about 10 years ago when I heard about Predatory Lending.

I was shocked that although homeownership was aggressively promoted to minority families, they were more likely to be victims of predatory lending  and  losing billions in wealth.   African American Families with the same credit score had 4 times the chance of being victims than White Families.

When I embarked on the path of Saving the American Dream, there was more hope of saving homes and families. People still had equity in their homes, their credit was better,  and there were more programs to get them out of the bad loans.

Fast forward to the housing crisis, where families have no equity and their credit has had major setbacks leaving the options limited.   We are in a state of emergency.    Who suffered the most? Yes you guessed right,  African American and Latino Families suffered more than anyoneelse. The current crisis has been the largest shift of wealth in modern day history for African Americans, and it gets worse at a time of great crisis.

The government created HAMP, a program to help modify mortgages that lenders can volunteer to take part in. Yes, although we gave them billions in bailout money, they can pick  and choose  if they want to assist the same tax payers that helped them, after they defrauded the housing market.

So how has HAMP worked so far??? It has not!    The program has helped about 500,000 families instead of the 4 million the government had hoped it would help. Although I have to be fair to executives at Chase, Bank of American and Ocwen who have all told me they have modified loans outside of HAMP,  but it is still not enough.  

Out of the few hundred thousands , many are in programs they still cannot afford, and those who can afford the current payment have been given a balloon payment, thanks to loopholes in HAMP.  Such balloon payments jeopardize the long term security of homeowners and define the meaning of Predatory in my opinion.

To make matters worse, White Families are getting approved for HAMP at greater numbers, while African American Families and Latino Families are continuing to be victims.  Although African American and Latino families were the number # 1 Victims of Predatory Lending, they are the last  ones  to get assistance and continue to be victimized. Despite lawsuits by groups like the NAACP whom  I support in their efforts, but wonder if they truly made a difference, banks are not stopping The Whites Only Homeowners Line, mentality.

Who sits around and decides that an African American Father or Latino Mother deserve to pay more,  when he or she is attaining the American Dream for their family. Which position do you apply for , that gives you such authority to decide  on how a Latino Family,  or  an African American Family should pay an average of $1,000 more a month on a $300,000 loan with the same credit standing?  Does it take  a  team to decide that despite the predatory actions that got us here,  you should still have a Whites Only Line for families applying for  HAMP?  Questions I wish I could answer, but ones I will never stop seeking answers to!

So how can families help themselves and avoid predatory lending?  Communication, Education,  and preparation!  For starters, about 60% of families who lose their homes have never contacted their lender, and the rest approach their lender without the proper knowledge.  The families that do contact their lenders are often not prepared or educated enough to understand what they can qualify for under a loan modification.  They are  then either turned down, or as we discussed  put into less than favorable and predatory loan modifications.

If families are turned down for HAMP or given an offer that they do not agree with, they have a right to ask for a clear explanation which can be challenged. Most families who   are turned down for a Loan Modification are eligible, but they are not prepared to fight back or get a better offer than the first.

Consumers must prepare their budget, collect their documents, and get educated on the process before they go down the path of a loan modification or Short sale.

This 4^th of July, despite the road blocks that may stand in the way of your American Dream, get a game plan together, mobilize your partner, friends and community, and begin the rebuilding process one step at a time.    I know you cannot do this alone, so I have set up a community where thousands of Americans have come together to assist each other during these tough economic times.

Join us at www.savetheamericandream.tv and together we can Rebuild The American Dream, one family at a time. 

About Author Of Article

Shirin is Author, Talk Show Host, and Founder of Community Building Blocks Foundation.   A foundation focused on Saving the American Dream   through financial literacy,   technology, green initiatives,  and education.   The foundation currently counsels thousands  of   Americans at www.savetheamericandream.tv with online counseling.   Her book, Save The American Dream,    How to Modify Your Mortgage and Rebuild Your Credit,  www.savethedreambook.com has helped families take control of their homes and negotiate better terms to secure their future.   Shirin  can be heard every Monday on the Warren Ballentine , A Radio One Show at 8:45 AM West Coast, and has been heard by millions over the past 10 years empowering families.

Local Radio Personalities and a Real Life Superhero Team Up With Author and Housing Advocate to Save the American Dream

Media and RSVP

Reach Marketing and Advertising Inc.

savethedream@reachmarketinginc.com or 1-877-325-7411

Los Angeles, CA, November 29, 2009:   Rene Taylor and Josefa Salinas, have something in common, they have been in Radio for over 20 years, both of them are community leaders, mothers and the face of Predatory Lending Victims and Loan Modification scams.  On December 12 2009, they along with other community members including high ranking LAPD officers will tell their stories at Save The American Dream Round Table and Community Town Hall meeting.  The event is hosted by Shirin Sharkawi, Author of Save The American Dream, How to modify Your Mortgage and Rebuild Your Credit, as well as a Housing Advocate and Host of the Nationally Syndicated Homeownership Talk Segment, on the Warren Ballentine Show.

Shirin Sharkawi met the two women when she was a guest on Hot 92 Jamz, a Los Angeles based radio station, educating families about the pitfalls of Predatory Lending.  During an interview,   Josefa Salinas realized she was a victim and so did other air personalities.   

The Round Table and Community Town Hall meeting will be Web Cast Live Online, and ran on local and nationally syndicated talk shows, to give consumers a voice and hold banks and political leaders accountable for Predatory Lending and Loan Modification scams.  A four hour FREE Workshop, in Spanish and English, is to follow, with a $10 donation of canned goods for the local food banks. The workshop is a part of a blue print that has been created to mitigate foreclosures, assist consumers in lowering their mortgage payments, while rebuilding their credit.    

Shirin’s blue print utilizes technology to broadcast the message to large numbers of Americans, and has created accountability measures that allow consumers who go through her workshop to have a place to grade their lender.   Report cards will be sent on a monthly basis to The CEO, President, top executives and board members of banks and lending institutions, to local and national government agencies, including a special delivery to President Obama,  political leaders and posted on line, to show consumers which banks are assisting Americans and which are not.  This along with her online community that counsels thousands www.savetheamericandream.tv,  and with the release of her book www.savethedreambook.com , Shirin is quickly becoming a key figure in Saving the American Dream.      

Growing up as a young Palestinian girl and the daughter of survivors of the 1948 Israel/ Palestine war, she knew the importance of land for the long term security and equality of families. In 2002, along with her best friend Lynn Davis, Shirin Sharkawi began the journey to Save the American Dream, by knocking on anyone and everyone’s doors who could provide them a place to educate families about the pitfalls of Predatory Lending, and now loan modification scams.     

Loan Modification scams and the lack of cooperation from banks, are stripping the last of what Americans have. We must continue to empower individuals with the knowledge to allow them to take control of their mortgage and credit, so they do not continue to fall victim.

“I am still knocking on doors, and will keep knocking until the housing issue is put on the forefront” comments Shirin.

With the support of friends, family and celebrities such as Jessie Justice Smith, American Gladiator and Real Life Superhero, Shirin and a group of industry experts, will travel the country with a series of town hall meetings followed by workshops to allow Americans a voice while arming them with the tools and education.

Invites have been sent out to local and national political leaders, whom community members want to hear from during these risky economic times.  

Sign up:www.savethedreamworkshop.com or 1-877-325-7411

Local Radio Personalities

Josefa Salinas and Rene Taylor

Join Forces with National Housing Advocate and Author, Shirin Sharkawi

to Save The American Dream

What:  Save The American Dream Seminar...Reclaim A Legacy Workshop

Why - National Banks are falling short of modification eligible families mortgage's causing

national hardships and a strain on our economy.  This workshop and on going blue print, is designed to give American Families the education, tools and support to create a household budget,  take control of their mortgage and rebuild their credit.

Host - Shirin Sharkawi

          Housing Advocate, Host Of Nationally Syndicated Homeownership Talk Segment on the Warren Ballentine show and Author of Save The American Dream, How to Modify Your Mortgage and Rebuild Your Credit.

Moderated/Special Guest - Josefa Salinas and Rene Taylor, Hot 92 Jamz Radio Personalities

When - December 12, 2009

Roundtable - 9:00 AM- 10:30 AM

Workshop: 11:00 AM - 4:00 PM

Where- Dockweiler Youth Center, Playa Del Rey, CA

Work Shop Agenda- How to Lower Your Mortgage Payment

How to avoid foreclosure

How to buy a house after a foreclosure or bankruptcy

How to rebuild your credit after setbacks

How to put together a budget that pays down debt and builds savings

How To Rebuild Your Credit

How to Negotiate A Loan Modification with your bank

How to Negotiate A Short Sale

How to qualify for the Obama Housing Plan

How To stop collection calls with 1 letter much more

Sign Up - www.savethedreamseminars.com

Media/Political Leaders RSVP For Roundtable rsvp@reachmarketinginc.com

EVENT WEBCAST LIVE VIA USTREAM

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS  - ATTORNEY ON HAND TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS

It is Important For Consumers To Be Well Prepared

By Shirin Sharkawi,

Author of  "Save The American Dream, How to Modify Your Mortgage and Rebuild Your Credit." www.savethedreambook.com    

Whether you are at risk of losing your home, or you feel you are overpaying on your mortgage, a loan modification can help you.    Your home is one of the biggest investments you will ever make, and taking the steps to save it from a foreclosure, lower your payments, or save thousands of dollars each year is worth the time to educate yourself, and be well prepared before you contact your lender.              

Loan modifications increase in a market where home values drop drastically and consumers do not have the equity to refinance their homes.  Your credit score does not matter and it does not matter whether you are upside down on your home loan or at risk of a foreclosure sale.  It is never too late to pick up the phone and tell your lender you want to Save your home and you need their help.       It is alarming that 60% or more of families who lose their homes do not contact their lender for a workout option.    Do not let pride get in the way of helping you save your home.  The people who work for the lenders understand your struggle; and the more honest you are with them and the more organized you are with a plan to get back on track, the better your chance of having a successful loan modification.     

A Loan Modification alters one or more aspects of your home loan, such as the interest rate, the period of amortization (how long your payment is spread over such as 30 years), or the principal loan amount which is the amount you owe the bank.  

Is a loan modification easy?   Believe it or not, sometimes it is as easy as calling and giving your lender your expenses and hardship, and getting an answer on the spot; or you may have to go through a few months of back and forth negotiations.  Avoid contacting your lender before you educate yourself on the process.  Understanding the process and being well prepared will make the difference between successful or failed loan modification attempts.          

It is very clear that the big banks are not easily giving consumers a loan modification, even if they are eligible.  Banks such as Bank of America and Wells Fargo, both having received Tarp Money, have modified less than 5% of all eligible consumer loans.   If you are one of those consumers not getting your lender's help, empower yourself by telling your story at www.lendershallofshame.com    

Most consumers who are turned down did not qualify based on the income and expenses they gave the bank, which is why it is important to understand the income and expense ratio your lender wants to see in order to approve your loan modification.  You can make too much or too little and be turned down.   I cannot stress the importance of preparation before you submit your loan modification package.     

 Here are some quick tips on getting ready for a successful loan modification.

1. Establish your Budget - Put all of your expenses together, except for your mortgage payment, and what is left with a cushion of about $200 is what you can realistically afford to pay on your mortgage. This is considered the disposable income. 

2.   Establish The Type Of Loan Modification That is Right for You – This is done by working with a mortgage calculator,  your current balance and your disposal income.     Some modifications alter one aspect (some two and some all) to achieve the desired goal.   You can access the mortgage calculator at www.savetheamericandream.tv to establish the right rate, amortization or principal reduction you need to establish your desired payment.   

3. Contact your lender- Request a loan modification package, if your lender tells you that they can take your application over the phone, do not move forward unless you have taken the above steps, to avoid being turned down.   

3. Establish the value of your property – This can be done by pulling local sales from your area, contacting a Real Estate Agent for an assessment or by paying $250-$350 for an appraisal.  You must include supporting documents to the lender such as proof of sales in your area, an appraisal of your property, or classified listings of properties for sale in your area that compare to yours.  You can also use such sites as www.zillow.com .  

4. Collect your income documentation – w2's, tax returns or banks statements, and profit and loss statement if you are self employed.  If you are getting child support, alimony or other income, include 3 months of proof of that income.  Some lenders will accept unemployment as income, ask your lender for details.    You are also able to use the income of other friends or family members living in your home but you must also list their expenses.  If you are making too much or too little you can get turned down for a loan modification that is why it is important to prepare.       

5. Write a hardship Letter - Be brief, but specific, and show the lender that you had set backs but have taken control of your situation and can get back on track if they assist you.  

By Shirin Sharkawi,

Author Of Save The American Dream, How To Modify your Mortgage and Rebuild your Credit

www.savethedreambook.com 

The blame of the housing crisis has at times been put on President Clinton, who was urged by minority leaders, when he was in office, to expand homeownership opportunities.   As a response, President Clinton urged lenders to offer more flexible loan programs, to help minority families, who were otherwise left out of the dream, have a chance at homeownership.    The guidelines that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac offered were strict and required 20% down; money that most minority families did not have.   The lack of down payment kept many minority families from attaining the dream of homeownership.   As lenders began to relax their guidelines, Subprime mortgages began to grow, 500% in a few years. 

Subprime lending offered alternative financing options that had more relaxed underwriting guidelines as it pertained to income documentation and credit.   Up until the birth of Subprime Lending, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac were the two institutions that lent money to banks to assist homeowners.  Their guidelines were, however, strict and required a 20% down payment.

Subprime lending also offered alternative income verification, such as bank statements, and many stated income programs for those who did not fall under the traditional W-2 employee status.  The programs that Subprime lending offered were needed to give Americans a chance at homeownership. Small business owners could finally qualify for mortgages, and people who may have had some setbacks with their credit, had a chance at homeownership.

 Consumers flocked to buy homes when lenders offered little or no money down, creating a frenzy of new untrained loan officers entering the industry to capitalize on the demand for Real Estate.  Loan officers were often not trained, or trained to provide consumers with loan programs that were often higher than they would qualify for, with added junk fees and unnecessary pre-payment penalties.    Many Subprime Programs were good for consumers. It was not Subprime Lending; it was the abuse and stretching of underwriting guidelines that got us into trouble.   To top it off, consumers were placed into exotic mortgages by loan officers and brokers who were given incentives by lending institutions to do so.     

A perfect example is the incentives Countrywide and other banks gave to loan officers who placed consumers in pre-payment penalties on option arm loans and encouraged them to raise a consumers margin, a key component in a consumer's interest rate.  (loans that adjusted monthly and have a negative amortization affect on a mortgage, option arm loans are broken down in the Mortgage Types Chapter.) The higher loan officers raised a consumer's margin, the more money they received from the bank and the longer prepayment penalty, the more money the lender paid the loan officer or broker

Loan officers were getting as much as a 4% rebate home negative amortization or option arm loans they sold to clients, that is, $12,000 in rebate fees on a $300,000 loan, not to be mistaken with other fees charged up front.  Great incentives were given to loan officers and wholesale account executives for selling adjustable mortgages to consumers.  The reason was simple - adjustable mortgages were more in demand to investors because they anticipated future earnings when the consumer's loan rate adjusted.  Meaning that if you were paying 7% on a loan for two years, the investors hoped they could make more money on your loan when it adjusted in 2 years.    Little did many investors know that lenders created relaxed guidelines and consumers could barely afford the payment they initially received, let alone a rise in mortgage payment that has, at times doubled.  Investors did not realize they may have been buying loans secured by Real Estate, but they were not worth much because the consumers who were responsible for the payments, could not afford the mortgages.    More and more relaxed guidelines increased when President Bush encouraged lenders to take America's homeownership challenge to get 10 million more minority families in homes by 2010.  The challenge was made by President Bush in 2001.  The reason this challenged was placed, was to help save a suffering economy.   While 75% more Caucasian families owned homes, only 48% of minority families were homeowners.   To help increase the activity in the Real Estate Industry, minority families were the untapped market.  To lenders this became the emerging market place and special divisions and programs were set up.  Some such division, such as BNC mortgage, a once Subprime Arm of WAMU,  used tactics to secure minorities into homes that were less than ethical. The more flexible the programs became, demand increased dropping interest rates and rising property values.     This sent Americans to refinance and take out over 2 trillion dollars of equity, out of their homes in 3 years or less, during the peak of the refinance boom.  Americans have less equity in their homes now than in the 80's.   The unfortunate part, is that many families who refinanced their homes, were placed in exotic type mortgages, that when adjusted or the term has ended, would make a consumer's mortgage not affordable.  Such a tactic was also used when consumers purchased a home.  

Over 9 billion dollars in hard earned equity was reported to be lost each year due to predatory lending practices prior to the mortgage crisis.  The few billion each year, has now turned into a global financial crisis.      Many families are victims today and still do not realize they are paying too much on their mortgage.   Released White House statistics showed that over 50% of American Families were paying a higher interest rate on their mortgage than they qualified for, losing thousands of dollars each year in equity.  HMDA stats showed the average African American and Hispanic family, with good credit scores, received a 2-3% higher interest rate on their mortgage than a Caucasian buyer with the same credit. The United States Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (or HMDA, pronounced HUM-duh) was passed in 1975. It requires financial institutions to maintain and annually disclose data about home purchases, home purchase pre-approvals, home improvement, and refinance applications involving 1 to 4 unit and multifamily dwellings.  On a $300,000 loan, a family who pays 2% more would lose $700 per month and over pay by $300,000 in interest over 30 years.  

The crash of the mortgage industry has shut down most of the Subprime lenders and guidelines have tightened; fewer borrowers will qualify, fewer will refinance and more short sales and foreclosures will take place, affecting the value of surrounding properties. Consumers have less money to spend, and all of this further weakens a falling real estate market.

We have gone backwards and now homeownership will be harder to attain for the average homeowner, affecting those that were already victimized.

Subprime Lending expanded the opportunity for more families to become homeowners, the abuse of the predators is what caused the mortgage crisis.

From:            Reach Marketing and Advertising Inc.

Contact:        Avonelle Simon at STAD@reachmarketinginc.com

Reason:         Save The American Dream: How To Modify Your Mortgage and Build your Credit

                       www.savethedreambook.com

The dream of homeownership resonates all over the world from the smallest villages to the largest cities.  It is a dream that we seek because it tells us that we have finally arrived, we are home.   We have a place to build our roots, raise our children and hang the pictures on our walls in the hope that we can leave a legacy for our children and their children.    It is a fact that families who are homeowners have children who are more likely to go to college, commit less crime and grow up healthier and happy.   Home is truly where the heart is; but for millions of American Families the dream is turning into a nightmare. 

Shirin came to the United States from Canada to pursue her dream of starting a Motown Magazine.  Shirin arrived in Los Angeles with only 50 dollars, a possible job (which fell through) and a verbal commitment from Motown Records that they would develop her idea of a Motown Magazine.    Born in Kuwait, Shirin’s family moved to Canada to allow their children a good education and citizenship, since they were denied it as children of Palestinian Refugees.   Growing up Shirin saw the legacy of land that allowed her parents to grow their business and send their kids to school, and she wanted that for all Americans.   

It was not until the current mortgage meltdown that the world realized the greed and corruption that was woven into the very fabric of the mortgage industry, but for Shirin that realization came over 6 years ago when she entered the mortgage industry.  While researching the future of the industry she had just entered, she discovered Predatory Lending, also known as unfair lending practices, and what it was costing hard working Americans.  Over 9 billion dollars in hard earned equity was reported to be lost each year due to predatory lending practices.   Many families are victims today and still do not realize they are paying too much on their mortgage.   Released White House statistics showed that over 50% of American Families were paying a higher interest rate on their mortgage, than they qualified for, losing thousands of dollars each year in equity.  HMDA stats showed the average African American and Hispanic family, with good credit scores received a 2-3% higher interest rate on their mortgage than a Caucasian buyer with the same credit. The United States Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (or HMDA, pronounced HUM-duh) was passed in 1975. It requires financial institutions to maintain and annually disclose data about home purchases, home purchase pre-approvals, home improvement, and refinance applications involving 1 to 4 unit and multifamily dwellings.  On a $300,000 loan, a family who pays 2% more would lose $700 per month and over pay by $300,000 in interest over 30 years.  

“When I learned about predatory lending, I called my mom in shock.  I could not believe that in America… because you were a minority, a single woman, or a senior, you were most likely to over pay by thousands each year on your mortgage or lose your home.    She told me to do something, as she has always told us to do, if we saw injustice to human kind.   I could not fight the banks and besides, I knew most of them were the advertisers on the Radio Stations.   I needed to get my message out, so I decided to educate, provide access and put accountability measures in place.â€�   

Shirin began the journey to save the dream by launching Fair Community Lending Services Inc, in 2003.  FCLS, Inc. is a company that connects consumers with fair brokers and lenders who followed strict guidelines in order to protect consumers.  She began to reach out to media, organizations, non profits and faith based groups in order to reach the public, and arm them with the education to make wise choices when buying a home or other Real Estate.   If she spoke to one or to millions, she would be there to educate them about their credit, the types of loan programs available, budgeting, understanding the buying process and tips on identifying predatory lending loans that are offered to them. 

A major part of Shirin’s ability to reach millions over the past 7 years, has been minority broadcasters, who supported Shirin’s message and put her on the air on a regular basis.  The first station to give Shirin the ability to reach listeners was XM 169, The Power.  It was not long before Josefa Salinas, Community Relations Director for Hot 92 Jamz, put Shirin on her show, and the rest was history.  “From the very first show, the phone lines didn’t stop ringingâ€�, comments Josefa Salinas.  â€œMy listeners realized they were victims of predatory lending and so did I.â€�

“I, too, was overwhelmed when I did my first showâ€�, comments Shirin.  â€œVictims of predatory lending were calling and emailing me in record numbers for help.  Many were about to sign their paperwork with a predatory lender or broker, and realized that they were victims after hearing the show.  I was making a difference by reaching people and I started to save homes.  I cannot imagine not doing what I do today,â€� continues Shirin Sharkawi, who stays up answering emails into the late hours of the night, from struggling homeowners, emailing her on her community website at www.savetheamericandream.tv.   “I get emails with headings like ‘HELP ME’ all the time.  Americans are struggling so badly and we must do something about this.  

On July 4, 2009, American Independence Day, Shirin Sharkawi will take the next step in her journey with the release of her new book, “Save The America Dream: How to Modify your Mortgage and Rebuild your Credit.  The “how toâ€� manual can be purchase as either an E-book or a Work book and walks families through the step-by-step process of a loan modification.  The book is simple to understand,  and will teach consumers at any stage of their loan modification or foreclosure process what they need to know to have the best chance at either saving their home or avoiding foreclosure with other alternatives such short sales or deid in lieu of foreclosure.     The book also takes things a step further, by helping consumers learn how to rebuild their credit after setbacks, and what it takes to buy a home after foreclosure and bankruptcy.  

Consumers are often not getting loan modifications because they don’t know how to prepare, and they get caught off guard when interviewed by the bank.  There are key numbers the bank wants to see and there are hardships they will accept.

As many families struggle to save their homes some families struggle to put food on the table; that is why $2.00 from each book will go to food banks across the United States and towards transitional houses for displaced families.    

The American Dream is worth saving and regardless of our color, age, or race, “home is where the heart is� and the dream to attain one is something we can all relate to.

Other Contributors to the book are Warren Ballentine, Attorney and nationally syndicated talk show host, Andrew Kish, certified credit counselor and mortgage broker and Jamie Blake Hill, First Time Homebuyer Specialist..     

Order your book today at www.savethedreambook.com and help save the American dream of homeownership.  For media appearances or inquiries contact STAD@homeownershiptalk.com   

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