I love reading the comments over on the CR blog. They’re great entertainment when I need a break from trying to dig my way out from deep inside the new WA State Distressed Property Law class I’m writing. Tonight, as I was reading the comments from this post on Fannie Mae lifting the “declining markets” rule, I found a link to this website (hat tip w.)

Keepingthekeys.com is providing hope (for a fee) for homeowners who wish to use legal options to stay in their home as long as possible, or to prevent foreclosure altogether.

We’ve all read, and some RCG commenters have complained loudly, about loan servicing companies being slow to approve short sales, modify loans, or engage in any kind of foreclosure workout with homeowners. Well, perhaps the threat of predatory lending and violations of state and federal law at loan origination will bring loan servicers to their knees.

The legal team at Keepingthekeys.com seems to be focused mainly in California, where the current count of 1000 foreclosures per day seems to ensure a model for business growth for the next decade.

So what can homeowners do who are located in Washington State and want legal help? Sometimes homeowners in financial distress just want an attorney to take a look at their documents.  Taking this simple step is better than full blown homeowner denial, and legal help can often be more affordable than the homeowner might think.  I’ve been on the look out for Seattle area law firms offering affordable legal counsel for homeowners facing foreclosure.  Now I’ve found one and I bet you’ll never guess which firm decided to extend a hand to this market.  Thanks, Craig and Marc.

Now, what to do about all those homeowners who committed stated income fraud at application in 2007.  Hmmm.  Perhaps there’s a reason why foreclosure rates continue to climb.  Maybe it’s not just “denial” or “loan servicing” backlogs.