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On May 26, 2005 Governor Robert Ehrlich signed into law emergency legislation entitled the Maryland Protection of Homeowners in Foreclosure Act. The law was then amended as emergency legislation on April 3, 2008 by Governor Martin O'Malley. This law created a new entity called the foreclosure consultant. The foreclosure consultant is defined not by his title or training, but by his actions. As a result homeowners facing foreclosure face a daily barrage of phone calls, letters, post cards, and knocks on the door from buyers who don’t know they are foreclosure consultants, individuals who call themselves foreclosure consultants but have little or no training or experience, scam artists who want to take advantage of vulnerable homeowners, and those who are trained and have experience helping homeowners facing foreclosure. The problem, until now, is that the homeowner does not have a means of differentiating between experienced, educated, and reputable foreclosure consultants and the rest of people marketing to them. The Maryland Association of Professional Foreclosure Consultants is changing that. Realtors®, real estate investors, and others are becoming members of the association to differentiate themselves from the rest. As professional members in good standing these individuals get: | | Certification training on compliance with the Maryland Protection of Homeowners in Foreclosure Act of 2005.Certification training on different techniques that can be used to assist homeowners in foreclosure.Access to all association resources.Association produced credentials that can be used in marketing to homeowners in danger of foreclosure that will allow the homeowner to easily recognize them as a qualified professional foreclosure consultant.A listing on the association website as a member in good standing for use by the homeowner in verifying the foreclosure consultant’s current membership status.Associate members in good standing get training on how to work with foreclosure consultants. While foreclosure consultants are free to work anyone they wish, working with trained associate members will make the entire process flow more smoothly.
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We offer homeowners a single point to visit or call to get the resources needed to help the homeowner separate qualified professional foreclosure consultants with access to all association resources from the rest of the countless individuals contacting them. We understand that a number of consultants have started offering training programs to teach people how to become foreclosure consultants in the state of Maryland. If you would like to have your materials receive the approval of the association, we invite you to submit a brief statement about what your materials cover. A representative will then contact you to have your materials presented to the Board of Oversight for approval. Once approved, it will then be listed on the website as a resource for association members. |
