713Bankruptcy.Com's Blog

by Victoria Ring, 713Training.Com

On Saturday, April 19, 2008, I was one of two guest speakers on the topic of Foreclosure Mediation, hosted by the American Center for Conflict Resolution Institute at http://www.accri.org. The teleseminar lasted for 1 hour and was a great success. How do I know? Because when the phone lines were unmuted for listeners to ask questions, there was an overabundance of them. This shows a speaker that everyone was paying attention and that people were excited about the information they heard.

James Cline of Foreclosure Mediator Training Systems was also a speaker at the teleseminar and I was honored to meet him for the first time. James has been working as a foreclosure mediator since 1995 and really knows his stuff. He offers a training school in Michigan and you can contact him for more information about the field by calling toll-free 877-631-8408.

Below are some of the topics James and I covered during the teleseminar:

What exactly is foreclosure mediation?

Foreclosure mediation is using a variety of different methods to negotiate with the mortgage company in an attempt to stop or prevent foreclosure procedures and allow the borrower(s) to stay in their home.

Why would a lender want to mediate a foreclosure?

It costs a lender $1,000s of dollars to proceed through a foreclosure. From attorney fees to file the paperwork to the Sheriff’s sale and everything in between, it can cost a lender upwards of $10,000 or more to foreclose on a piece of property. Then, the lender must resell the property and try to make a profit, which may or may not be advantageous. Therefore, the lender would much rather negotiate a settlement, which is why your services as a foreclosure mediator are so much in demand.

Why are there so many foreclosures today? Is this happening everywhere?

The reason for the amount of foreclosures today is due to the fact that people are unable to pay their mortgage payment. This could be caused by a variety of different reasons, from losing their job and the inability to find employment paying the same wage, or because of a bad mortgage loan such as “interest only” or “adjustable rate.” The foreclosure rates are increasing everywhere. Even England and many other countries are having the same economic problems we are here in the United States.

Ref: U.S. Nationwide Foreclosure Statistics
http://www.foreclosures.com/stats/

Why is this a good time to get involved in foreclosure mediation?

Because the numbers are increasing at an alarming rate, many lenders are more than willing to work with mediators. This makes the job of a foreclosure mediator much easier.

Why can’t the borrower mediate their own foreclosure?

Because lenders would rather work through a third-party since a third-party is normally more neutral. A borrower would tend to be more biased during mediation and possibly withhold important data from the lender that could make or break the negotiation.

How does one become a foreclosure mediator?

Through a variety of methods; but the best place to start is by purchasing Victoria Ring’s book titled: An Introduction to Foreclosure Mediation which can be purchased online as an eBook or in printed form from her website:

Printed: http://www.713training.com/shop/cart.php?m=product_detail&p=67
EBook: http://www.713training.com/shop/cart.php?m=product_detail&relate=1&p=9

This book lays out all the basic information to get you started. Then, if you wish to pursue the field, you are encouraged to contact James Cline at 877-631-8408 for one-on-one personalized training.

Do you need a license to be a foreclosure mediator?

I do not know of any state law that requires a person to have a license to negotiate a workable plan between a borrower and mortgage company; however, state laws change all the time. Therefore, it is wise to check with Tanya Haggins at the American Center for Conflict Resolution for updated information. Her email address is thaggins@accri.org

How much time does it take to train to be a foreclosure mediator?

That depends on the background of the individual and the ability to comprehend the materials. Some people can purchase a book and within 2-3 weeks be making excellent money. Other people require more training and hand-holding. That is why my book, An Introduction to Foreclosure Mediation is so helpful. It outlines the entire business so you can make a more informed decision about whether to pursue this career without making a large investment.

How much money can one make as a foreclosure mediator?

That depends on many circumstances. My book covers the possible income a foreclosure mediator can earn but these figures fluctuate. If you are working for an attorney, the attorney may earn $1,000 for negotiating a foreclosure for a borrower and pay the non-attorney $500. Or, perhaps the negotiation could take from 5-6 weeks and hundreds of phone calls to complete. In this instance, the fee the foreclosure mediator could earn may be thousands of dollars. Or, some foreclosure mediators will base their fee on the amount of money being negotiated. But overall, a foreclosure mediator can earn as little as $4,000 per month or as much as $250,000 per year or even more.

How much time does it take to mediate a foreclosure case?

Every loan is unique and every one will require different periods of time to negotiate. Some loans can be mediated in 30 minutes while others may take 3-4 months. It depends on how fast the lenders and borrowers get back to you with the required information and your ability to reach the right person at the lending company to confirm a negotiation.

Can I run this type of business from home?

Absolutely! In fact, almost any business today can be run from home. All you need to get started in foreclosure mediation is a telephone, fax machine and a computer, which you probably already have.

References:

An Introduction to Foreclosure Mediation
http://www.713training.com/shop/cart.php?m=product_detail&relate=1&p=9

Advanced Training from James Cline, a Foreclosure Mediator
Phone: 877-631-8408

American Center for Conflict Resolution Institute
http://www.accri.org

Report on personalized training session at Georgia law firm
by Victoria Ring, 713Training.Com

On April 10, 2008 I left Columbus, Ohio to fly to St. Louis, Missouri and on to my final destination in Atlanta, Georgia; arriving there at 2:30 pm. My dear friend, and adopted son, Michael Misenheimer picked me up from the airport and whisked me off to my favorite restaurant in Atlanta – Einstein’s, located at 1077 Juniper St NE. They have Caesar salads that are to “die for” as well as fish dinners and desserts that are out of this world. We had white chocolate banana cream pie and strawberry cheesecake for dessert. I highly recommend them both, especially if you want to put on a few pounds.

Next, Michael took me to his new office located on the 34th floor of 133 Peachtree Street. They recently moved there from the Flatiron building to this new prestigious location and I was able to get some excellent pictures of the Atlanta skyline. From Michael’s office I was also able to see some of the damage caused by the tornado that occurred on March 15 where two people were killed and the downtown area was covered in debris.

Michael Misenheimer is a wonderful guy. In his short 27 years of life he has obtained his Bachelor’s degree and will be sitting for the LSAT exam this fall. If he passes, he will be entering law school in 2009 and become an attorney in 2010. Although I think of Michael as my son (since I never had any children), he has been a true and dedicated friend throughout the recent problems I experienced in the hospital – including the problems caused by Angie Boyd and Gloria Joyce who tried desperately to have me removed from life support during my 3-week coma. I cannot thank Michael enough for his love and respect and I am very proud of him and his accomplishments.

Training the Law Firm Employees

Now, let’s move on to the main reason for my trip to Atlanta in the first place. Attorney Bob Phillips has over 20 years of corporate and small business experience in management consultation, corporate director and officer positions. I consider myself very fortunate to have met Bob Phillips, his staff and his family during my trip. Mr. Phillips is a kind and compassionate attorney who cares about his clients and prices his services at a fair rate so that people can afford good representation.

Mr. Phillips’ law firm had been steadily increasing in their representation of debtor bankruptcy clients, so he hired me to fly to Atlanta and train his two employees. He has put a terrific plan in place. One employee will do the client intake and forward the information to another employee. The second employee will work from home (virtually) and prepare the Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcy petitions for filing.

Prior to me flying to Atlanta, Mr. Phillips was doing most of this work. But now, through the result of my two days of intense training, his employees will be able to take the bulk of the workload off Mr. Phillips and the law firm will grow and prosper much faster. One thing that made the training a learning experience for me was that Bob sat with us during the entire training. He taught me a lot about the differences between the Ohio and Georgia law and his employees benefited from the insider information also.

Also, Mr. Phillips and his staff treated me to an excellent lunch at The Foster House in Cumming, Georgia where I enjoyed good ole’ southern fried chicken, green beans and mashed potatoes. The Foster House is very unique. It is an original farmhouse built in 1887 with beautiful Victorian décor. Then, Mr. Phillips and his wife took me to Cracker Barrel in Buford, Georgia and we had the fish fry special on Friday night. Needless to say, I was so stuffed with good home cooking that I could not eat a bite on Saturday. I can say one thing for sure about the South – those people sure know how to cook and eat and I enjoyed everything down to the last bite.

Meeting with Jeannie Johnston
Owner of Paralegal Gateway: http://www.paralegalgateway.com

On Saturday evening, April 13, 2008, Michael and I drove to Chili’s Restaurant to meet with Jeannie Johnston and her husband. If you do not already know, Jeannie is the Vice President of the NAVBA and owner of Paralegal Gateway. Jeannie has many years of legal experience and is a very “smart cookie.” I encourage you to visit her website and gain additional knowledge about the legal world.

Jeannie’s latest project is a co-venture with Chere Estrin of Estrin Legal Ed. They are working on publishing a new magazine titled: KNOW which will be available in June of this year. For more information about this professional magazine visit Jeannie’s blog: CLICK HERE

Preparations for My Return to Columbus, Ohio

I spent Sunday, April 13 with Michael where we shopped around at the cool stores in Lilburn, Georgia. However, I had to be in bed by 10:00 pm since my plane left Atlanta early the next morning. I flew back the way I came: Atlanta to St. Louis, St Louis to Columbus; and arrived safely on the ground at 11:35 Monday, April 14. Awaiting me were 487 emails and 32 voice mails, but I worked Tuesday and Wednesday to catch everything up.

I am expecting Harriet West-Moore to arrive on Tuesday, April 22, 2008 for 1-on-1 Training here at the 713Training.Com office in Columbus, Ohio. But I will be traveling to Akron, Ohio Thursday and Friday of next week for two-day training with Yvonne Long. I recently secured the domain name: 713seminars.com so I can post my schedule and upcoming seminars so you can keep updated on my itinerary. I have not developed the website yet, but I will let you know the moment it is available for viewing.

Summary

I would like to thank Attorney Bob Phillips, his wife and law firm staff for making me feel so welcome during my visit. I also want to acknowledge the law firm Michael works for: Sicay-Perrow, Knighten and Bohan in Atlanta, Georgia who has been instrumental is allowing Michael time and providing support to me during my recent hospitalization. Finally, I want to thank Jeannie Johnston of Paralegal Gateway and her husband for meeting me in Lilburn, Georgia. Jeannie and her husband love Jesus Christ and we had an excellent discussion to glorify the Lord with love and admiration.

Talk to you later. I will keep you all in my prayers. Together, we can build a career that will keep us free and in control of our future in the virtual bankruptcy assistant world.

FREE BANKRUPTCY TELECONFERENCE

DATE: APRIL 17, 2008
HOST: Dana Fortier
TOPIC: Marketing Your Virtual Business

Discussion regarding utilizing social networking sites to network with other bankruptcy attorneys or bankruptcy paralegals; how to research potential clients and search for potential clients.

If you have any specific questions you would like for Dana to answer in regard to marketing and you do not wish to voice them during the teleconference, please email your questions to: dlf41103@hotmail.com BEFORE the teleconference. In the SUBJECT LINE type: Question for 713Training Seminar.

HOW TO ATTEND THE TELECONFERENCE:

TIME:

9:00pm, Eastern Standard Time
8:00pm, Central Standard Time
7:00pm, Mountain Standard Time
6:00pm, Pacific Standard Time

CALL IN INFORMATION:

1. Call 641-715-3200
2. Key in ACCESS CODE: 1076235 followed by the (#) pound key
3. You will be immediately connected to the teleconference
4. If you should hear music or dead silence when you log in, it means that the host has not logged in yet. Please stay on the line for a few minutes until the host logs in and provides teleconference access to everyone.

UNABLE TO ATTEND?

The teleconference will be recorded and available for free download in MP3 format to members of the NAVBA. If you would like to have access to this recorded teleconference as well as our previously recorded teleconferences, you can join the NAVBA for only $15.99. There is no long-term obligation and you can cancel at any time. It’s the best deal you will find for solid and ongoing education and training.

Join: https://www.713training.com/administrator/signup.php

IMPORTANT WEB LINKS:

Free “Getting Started Guide”
http://www.713training.com/getstarted.pdf

Training Materials:
http://www.713training.com/shop

Contact Other Virtual Bankruptcy Assistants
http://www.713training.com/directory/

713Training.Com’s Apprentice Program
http://www.713training.com/vabusiness/index.html

Victoria Ring
Certified Paralegal and Training Instructor
713Training.Com

Sponsored by: American Center for Conflict Resolution
Website: http://www.accri.org
Guest Speaker: Victoria Ring
Date: April 19, 2008
Time: 12:00 noon (Eastern Standard Time)

For attendance information contact:
DaNine K. Ward by email at: dkwrites@sbcglobal.net