Billion Dollar Bait & Switch: States Divert Foreclosure Deal Funds

May 22, 12:26 p.m.

Under the foreclosure settlement with big banks, states got $2.5 billion to help homeowners. But a comprehensive, state-by-state breakdown shows that almost a billion is going to general use.

Excerpt: At Goldman Sachs Servicer, ‘Total Disaster’

April 11, 8:53 a.m.

An employee at a mortgage servicer that was owned by Goldman describes the internal chaos that harmed thousands of homeowners and undermined the government’s flagship foreclosure prevention program.

The Great American Foreclosure Story: The Struggle for Justice and a Place to Call Home

April 10, 3 a.m.

The story of how one woman went from a three-bedroom home to a tent is the story of how America ended up in a foreclosure crisis that still drags down the economy.

Will Mortgage Settlement Avoid Repeating Obama’s Foreclosure Failures?

Feb. 10, 11:55 a.m.

Yesterday’s mortgage settlement aims to avoid the pitfalls of the administration’s floundering foreclosure program, but enforcement is again a question. 

Flaws Jeopardize New Attempt to Help Homeowners

Nov. 4, 2011, 10:41 a.m.

The Independent Foreclosure Review seeks to compensate homeowners victimized by big banks, but key elements remain undecided, unclear or secret, while lawmakers and homeowner advocates have criticized some of the known features.

Our FAQ on the Foreclosure Reviews

Nov. 4, 2011, 10:37 a.m.

Regulators have provided a bare-bones website and frequently asked questions about the foreclosure reviews. But we thought things could be even clearer for readers, so we are providing this FAQ.

Surprise on Refi Revamp: Key Regulator Agrees to Major Program Reforms

Oct. 24, 2011, 6:51 p.m.

Federal Housing Finance Agency chief Edward DeMarco had blocked earlier efforts to help struggling homeowners, but now he’s signed onto a major change to encourage banks to refinance underwater mortgages.

Email Warned That Bank Up For Bailout Was ‘Disastrous’

Oct. 20, 2011, 11:51 a.m.

Anonymous tip warned Treasury that United Commercial Bank was troubled, but the bank still got almost $300 million. Now the bank has failed and two executives are facing criminal charges.

Secret Docs Show Foreclosure Watchdog Doesn’t Bark or Bite

Oct. 4, 2011, 11:26 a.m.

Documents obtained by ProPublica suggest the government coddled mortgage servicers in its flagship foreclosure prevention program despite frequent and serious errors.

One Obstacle to Obama’s New Plan to Help Homeowners: A Gov’t Regulator

Sept. 9, 2011, 3:28 p.m.

Obama wants to help hurting homeowners refinance into cheaper loans, but that hasn’t gone well so far, and efforts to fix it might be stymied.

Nevada Wallops Bank of America With Sweeping Suit; Nationwide Foreclosure Settlement in Peril

Aug. 30, 2011, 5:46 p.m.

By vastly expanding its suit against Bank of America to include all major stages of the bank’s mortgage practices, Nevada signals that the banks’ mortgage troubles will likely continue to dog them.

Internal Doc Reveals GMAC Filed False Document in Bid to Foreclose

July 27, 2011, 1:07 p.m.

An internal document obtained by ProPublica shows that when one of the nation’s largest mortgage servicers sought to foreclose on a homeowner last year and lacked a crucial document, they just made one up. The case appears to be part of a larger pattern of deceptive filings to foreclose on homeowners.

Bank Errors Continue to Cause Wrongful Foreclosures

June 24, 2011, 1:45 p.m.

Banks continue to blindside homeowners by foreclosing when the homeowners are still awaiting word on their application for a mortgage modification.

Better Late Than Never? Gov’t Finally Penalizes Major Banks for Mortgage Mod Failures

June 10, 2011, 10:22 a.m.

After two years of arguing that it had little power to punish banks for breaking the rules of its mortgage modification program, the administration has decided it’s finally time to crack down. But the punishment won’t do much damage to banks that count their profits in the billions.

Profiles: Shoddy Bank Practices Continue Even After Mortgage Mods

June 2, 2011, 9:48 a.m.

Many homeowners have received a mortgage modification only to find themselves once again at risk of foreclosure because of errors by their mortgage company. ProPublica investigated six of these cases.

Even After Mortgage Modification, Shoddy Bank Practices Hurt Homeowners

June 2, 2011, 9:48 a.m.

Many homeowners have been granted a hard-fought mortgage modification only to have their mortgage company effectively pull a bait and switch.

In Fine Print, Banks Require Struggling Homeowners to Waive Rights

May 9, 2011, 7 a.m.

Some banks and others who handle mortgages have been forcing homeowners into a corner: You want a chance at saving your home? Then you’ll have to waive your right to sue.

Were You Forced to Waive Your Rights to Get Help?

May 9, 2011, 6:59 a.m.

Homeowners, Tell ProPublica About Your Wrongful Foreclosure

April 21, 2011, 10:19 a.m.