Chris Arnold

Natalie had a very similar story to the Queens. During COVID, she had to stop working to take care of sick family, got forbearance on her VA loan, and then one day gets word that she cannot just start up payments again like she thought. Like the affordable on-ramp she thought that she would have was gone. And just like the Queens, she was instead presented with very bad on-ramps back to repayment.

Natalie had a very similar story to the Queens. During COVID, she had to stop working to take care of sick family, got forbearance on her VA loan, and then one day gets word that she cannot just start up payments again like she thought. Like the affordable on-ramp she thought that she would have was gone. And just like the Queens, she was instead presented with very bad on-ramps back to repayment.

Natalie had a very similar story to the Queens. During COVID, she had to stop working to take care of sick family, got forbearance on her VA loan, and then one day gets word that she cannot just start up payments again like she thought. Like the affordable on-ramp she thought that she would have was gone. And just like the Queens, she was instead presented with very bad on-ramps back to repayment.

And these will sound very familiar. On-ramp number one, pay all the money back at once, more than $15,000 in this case. That's a lot of money. Uh... And she couldn't do it. And they offered her this mod. On ramp number two, take a loan modification. Again, basically a whole new mortgage, but interest rates had gone way up.

And these will sound very familiar. On-ramp number one, pay all the money back at once, more than $15,000 in this case. That's a lot of money. Uh... And she couldn't do it. And they offered her this mod. On ramp number two, take a loan modification. Again, basically a whole new mortgage, but interest rates had gone way up.

And these will sound very familiar. On-ramp number one, pay all the money back at once, more than $15,000 in this case. That's a lot of money. Uh... And she couldn't do it. And they offered her this mod. On ramp number two, take a loan modification. Again, basically a whole new mortgage, but interest rates had gone way up.

And to be clear here, this is all happening before the foreclosure pause, before that moratorium. So these were the only two options, the only two on-ramps for Natalie to resume payment and keep her house. Natalie's mortgage company gives her a deadline to decide whether or not to take on those higher payments.

And to be clear here, this is all happening before the foreclosure pause, before that moratorium. So these were the only two options, the only two on-ramps for Natalie to resume payment and keep her house. Natalie's mortgage company gives her a deadline to decide whether or not to take on those higher payments.

And to be clear here, this is all happening before the foreclosure pause, before that moratorium. So these were the only two options, the only two on-ramps for Natalie to resume payment and keep her house. Natalie's mortgage company gives her a deadline to decide whether or not to take on those higher payments.

So unlike the Queens, Natalie decided to try somehow to make this loan modification thing work. Suddenly her monthly payments were 50% higher and she picked up every spare piece of work that she could find.

So unlike the Queens, Natalie decided to try somehow to make this loan modification thing work. Suddenly her monthly payments were 50% higher and she picked up every spare piece of work that she could find.

So unlike the Queens, Natalie decided to try somehow to make this loan modification thing work. Suddenly her monthly payments were 50% higher and she picked up every spare piece of work that she could find.

But she is still somehow doing it. And ironically, it is the fact that Natalie decided to try and make this higher mortgage thing work that is the problem. Because the bailout, the VASP program, it is only for people who have stopped making payments and are headed towards foreclosure, which puts someone like Natalie in a rough spot. I mean...

But she is still somehow doing it. And ironically, it is the fact that Natalie decided to try and make this higher mortgage thing work that is the problem. Because the bailout, the VASP program, it is only for people who have stopped making payments and are headed towards foreclosure, which puts someone like Natalie in a rough spot. I mean...

But she is still somehow doing it. And ironically, it is the fact that Natalie decided to try and make this higher mortgage thing work that is the problem. Because the bailout, the VASP program, it is only for people who have stopped making payments and are headed towards foreclosure, which puts someone like Natalie in a rough spot. I mean...

Yeah, strategic default would give some people in Natalie's situation access to the bailout program, but it would wreck Natalie's credit and her ability to get a loan anytime soon. And so she's still hustling, still scraping together those way higher monthly payments.

Yeah, strategic default would give some people in Natalie's situation access to the bailout program, but it would wreck Natalie's credit and her ability to get a loan anytime soon. And so she's still hustling, still scraping together those way higher monthly payments.

Yeah, strategic default would give some people in Natalie's situation access to the bailout program, but it would wreck Natalie's credit and her ability to get a loan anytime soon. And so she's still hustling, still scraping together those way higher monthly payments.

Chris and Quill have been trying to figure out how many Natalies there are out there, people who will not be helped by the big bailout plan, but probably still need help. So they asked the VA, did not get an answer, and then they FOIA'd a bunch of documents.

Chris and Quill have been trying to figure out how many Natalies there are out there, people who will not be helped by the big bailout plan, but probably still need help. So they asked the VA, did not get an answer, and then they FOIA'd a bunch of documents.