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Very interesting thread to review; would love to hear everyone's points of view here in 2009 after all the economic changes. We've been shopping real estate here on O`ahu only to return home to our rental feeling discouraged.
Yes, very interesting how times have changed since 2007. Pesh...I'm praying for a miracle, a lot of publicity, or a lot of money to help my friend (or all of the above!).
Very interesting thread to review; would love to hear everyone's points of view here in 2009 after all the economic changes. We've been shopping real estate here on O`ahu only to return home to our rental feeling discouraged.
Be happy with a rental. It's a renter's market for the next untold number of years. We're living in different times, different circumstances... Way Different! Don't use the old model. We don't have one for this day and age.
The only thing I can think of is to get the media involved in her case because there is a LOT more to her story that if someone would want to expose what has happened to her to the public, they would see that she has been victimized on many levels (not just the mortgage companies, believe me!!).
I'm not sure how much help it would be at this stage of the game, but you could tell your friend to send letters of complaint to the state AG's office and the DCCA:
Hale Auhau
425 Queen Street
Honolulu, Hawai`i 96813
PHONE: 586-1500
FAX: 586-1239
e-mail: hawaiiag@hawaii.gov
Web Site: http://www.hawaii.gov/ag
MARK BENNETT
Attorney General
King Kalakaua Building
335 Merchant Street
Honolulu, Hawai`i 96813
PHONE: 586-2850
FAX: 586-2856
e-mail: dcca@dcca.hawaii.gov
Web Site: http://www.hawaii.gov/dcca
LAWRENCE M. REIFURTH
Director
"If it's brown, it's cooked. If it's black, it's f***ed" - G. Ramsey
"when you wake up in the morning, tell yourself: the people i deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant, dishonest, jealous, and surly..."--meditations, marcus aurelius (make sure you read the rest of the passage, ya lazy wankers!)
nothing humiliates like the truth.--me, in conversation w/mixedplatebroker re 3rd party, 2009-11-11, 1213
Thank you for the info...I know that she's contacted the ODC and some state agencies...unfortunately there happens to be some politics that is impacting her job situation which is why I hope that an interested media person will want to know about her story.
Letters to the Editor are one place to start. Emails to the news desks at the local newspapers and TV stations. (And actually, faxes are surprisingly still pretty effective.) Provide a good "hook" and a decent amount of background so they know the gist and what they'd get and what they'd be getting into if they decided to cover it.
Basically, use the same channels anyone uses who wants to get media coverage. The problem is, there's a lot of demand for attention from a dwindling number of journalists.
Unfortunately, stories of fraudulent mortgage schemes, and even completely unintentional but no less devastating mortgage problems (given the convoluted machinations of the financial industry) are all too common. Whether it's someone who was sweet talked into an impossible deal, or someone who just can't find who actually owns their mortgage after dozens of transactions deep in the bowels of giant institutions, there are easily thousands of people in any city in the same boat: lost, scared, at wit's end, one cold business letter away from the streets.
It'll take some effort to show how a given case is especially galling or newsworthy. And most likely, your source will not be able to remain anonymous, and will face some scrutiny -- which can sometimes be just adding to the trauma rather than finding relief.
Otherwise, you do have the usual channels for help, like the DCCA, and ombudsman-type channels like KHON's "Action Line" and the Star-Bulletin's Kokua Line. They might not be able to outright stop what's happening to your friend, but they might be able to get better answers.
Mahalo for the suggestions...some which have been used already to now avail..but I understand what you mean that there are many going through the mortgage mess. Unfortunately her situation involves a bit more than just a mortgage mess.
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