As a bankruptcy lawyer I talk to homeowners every day who are trying to obtain a loan modification. So many of them have been at it for 18 months or more and are ready to throw in the towel.
The combination of filing for Ch 13 and working with a HUD counselor seems to be getting the best results. We send our clients to Surepath Financial for help dealing with their lender, but provide a list of others in the area as well.
When choosing someone to help with a loan modification it is important to go to a counselor approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development for FREE assistance. You should NEVER be asked to pay for counseling or a loan modification.
Here are a number of HUD-Approved counseling services in and around Santa Clara County:
SUREPATH FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS
1190 South Bascom Avenue, Ste 208
San Jose, California 95128
PHONE: 877-615-7873
E-MAIL: clientservices@surepath.org
WEBSITE: www.surepath.org
- Counselors speak English and Spanish
AFFORDABLE HOUSING CENTERS OF AMERICA
395 E. Taylor St. Suite 230
San Jose, California 95112
PHONE: 408-297-3053
E-MAIL: jgaleano@ahcoa.org
WEBSITE: www.ahcoa.org
- Counselors speak English and Spanish
PROJECT SENTINEL
298 S. Sunnyvale Avenue, Suite 209
Sunnyvale, California 94086
PHONE: 408-720-9888 x 16
TOLL FREE: 888-331-3332
E-MAIL: mediate4us@housing.org
WEBSITE: www.housing.org
- Counselors speak English, Spanish, Chinese Mandarin, Hindi
PROJECT SENTINEL
7800 Arroyo Circle, Bldg A
Gilroy, California 95020
PHONE: 408-842-7740
TOLL FREE: 888-331-3332
E-MAIL: gilroy@housing.org
WEBSITE: www.housing.org
- Counselors speak English and Spanish
NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING SERVICES SILICON VALLEY
1156 North Fourth Street
San Jose, California 95112
PHONE: 408-279-2600
WEBSITE: www.nhssv.org
- Counselors speak English, Spanish, Hmong and Vietnamese
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA URBAN DEVELOPMENT
Keisha Woods, Housing Program Manager
1836 Bay Road, Suite B
East Palo Alto, California 94303
PHONE: 650-328-1890×110
E-MAIL: keisha@norcaludc.org
WEBSITE: www.norcaludc.org
- Counselors speak English and Spanish
AVENIDAS
450 Bryant St
Palo Alto, California 94301
PHONE: 650-289-5433
E-MAIL: hlandsman@avenidas.org
WEBSITE: www.avenidas.org
– English Only
NATIONAL ASIAN AMERICAN COALITION
1535 Landess Avenue, Suite 146
Milpitas, California 95035
PHONE: 408-343-7701
- English Only
*** If you are outside Santa Clara County, the Department of Housing and Urban Development has a list of approved counseling agencies by State. You can access the list here.
Once you’ve set out on the path of seeking a mortgage modification consider the following tips.
• Do not let anyone pressure you into signing papers right away. Take your time to decide, and get more than one opinion on your situation.
• Do not sign your deed over to anyone if you are applying for a mortgage modification
• NEVER make a mortgage payment to anyone other than your mortgage servicer without its express approval