Assistance To Veterans With Non-Va Guaranteed Home Loans For a veteran or service member who may have obtained a conventional or sub-prime loan, VA has a network of eight Regional Loan Centers and two special servicing centers that can offer advice and guidance. Borrowers may visit VA’s website at www.benefits.va.gov/homeloans or call toll-free (877) 827-3702 to speak with a VA Loan Technician. However, unlike when a veteran has a VA-guaranteed home loan, VA does not have the legal authority to intervene on the borrower’s behalf. It is imperative that a borrower contacts his/her servicer as quickly as possible. Va Refinancing Of A Non-Va Guaranteed Home LoanVeterans with conventional home loans now have new options for refinancing to a VA-guaranteed home loan. These new options are available as a result of the Veterans’ Benefits Improvement Act of 2008. Veterans who wish to refinance their subprime or conventional mortgage may now do so for up to 100 pct of the value of the property, which is up from the previous limit of 90 pct. Additionally, Congress raised VA’s maximum loan guaranty for these types of refinancing loans. Loan limits were effectively raised from $144,000 to $417,000. High cost counties have even higher maximum loan limits. VA County Loan Limits can be found at www.benefits.va.gov/homeloans. These changes will allow more qualified veterans to refinance through VA, allowing for savings on interest costs and avoiding foreclosure. A VA refinancing loan may help a veteran who is facing a big payment increase. Other Assistance For Delinquent Veteran Borrowers If VA is not able to help a veteran borrower retain his/her home (whether a VA-guaranteed loan or not), the HOPE NOW Alliance may be of assistance. HOPE NOW is a joint alliance consisting of servicers, counselors, and investors whose main goal is to assist distressed borrowers retain their homes and avoid foreclosure. They have expertise in financial counseling, as well as programs that take advantage of relief measures that VA cannot. HOPE Now provides outreach, counseling and assistance to homeowners who have the willingness and ability to keep their homes but are facing financial difficulty as a result of the crisis in the mortgage market. The HOPE NOW Alliance can be reached at (888) 995-HOPE (888-995-4673) or by visiting www.hopenow.com. (www.benefits.va.gov/homeloans )
Mr. Finkelstein is the Managing Partner of Finkelstein & Partners, LLP. He has become a noted consumer activist through his representation of injured individuals against corporate wrongdoers and irresponsible parties.
An accomplished litigator, Mr. Finkelstein has represented Plaintiffs in wrongful death and catastrophic personal injury cases. He has successfully handled dozens of multi-million dollar cases.