By: Clark Howard – WSB-TV ATLANTA – WSB consumer advisor Clark Howard said the big problem after a storm or disaster is how long it takes insurance companies to visit homes to effected and assess the damage. Insurance companies agree—...
More infoConsumer Spotlight: Marietta Woman Learns Property Tax Issue the Tough Way
May 10, 2011 Last year, Robin Gordon of Marietta received some very unexpected and troubling news from her mortgage company; a tax lien had been placed on her midtown Atlanta rental property without her knowledge. Robin expected to have her mortgage paid...
More infoConsumer Alert: Home Improvement Fraud
February 24, 2011 We here at Georgia Watch recently became aware of a great resource for homeowners seeking an honest, efficient home contractor. The National Center for the Prevention of Home Improvement Fraud (NCPHIF) is a nonprofit based in Atlanta that...
More infoCounseling Center Open for Fannie Mae Homeowners
Are you behind on your mortgage payments or struggling to make payments? If yes, and you have a Fannie Mae-backed mortgage, you now have another resource in metro Atlanta. Fanny Mae recently opened the Atlanta Mortgage Help Center, which according to a...
More infoHouse Judiciary Committee passes watered down mortgage reform bill
ATLANTA – The House Judiciary Committee passed SB 57 Thursday after adopting a number of amendments that weakened core provisions of the legislation. The bill is the only attempt that the legislature has moved forward that addresses the careless...
More infoGeorgia needs common sense mortgage reform
By Beth Malone We’re in a housing crisis – one that hasn’t even hit its peek. The middle class is starting to feel the direct effects of foreclosure as the balloon that is their adjustable rate loan, bursts. That means more foreclosures to come...
More infoGeorgia ranks 3rd for mortgage delinquencies; subprime borrowers lead pack
The Mortgage Bankers Association released their 2009 4Q mortgage loan delinquency rates last week. The report finds that of Georgia’s 1,654,728 mortgage holders, 17.1 percent are delinquent or in foreclosure. Additionally, 41.38 percent of the state’s...
More infoGeorgia Foreclosure Crisis: The Road to Reform
The Road to Reform, the second installment of a two-part series on Georgia’s current foreclosure crisis. As a follow-up to The Rippling Effects of Foreclosure released in January 2010, the report details previously enacted reforms in our state; amended...
More infoWading in Water: Do you need flood insurance?
By Beth Malone and Danny Orrock The flooded streets and damaged homes resulting from the storms that pummeled the state in September should serve as a wake-up call to us all. Some of you may be asking: Why didn’t I know my property was vulnerable to...
More infoGeorgia Foreclosure Stats FAST
Georgia currently ranks 7th in the nation for foreclosures. The following is a list of a few other startling facts that have resulted from the housing crisis.
More infoSB 57: Mortgage Reform
General intent: SB 57 addresses financial incentives that brokers and others use to guide borrowers into unsuitable loans. The bill helps prevent factors that contributed to meltdown in the subprime market.
More infoCommunity rally demanding mortgage reform a SUCCESS!
Georgia Watch hosted a rally with clergy leaders from across the Metro area on Friday December 4th. Thanks to all those who came out to help advocate for the end of inappropriate home loan lending. High-interest loans with careless and abusive provisions...
More info