DATELINE: NEW BEDFORD, MA and DARTMOUTH, MA…

New Bedford, MA resident Michael Vaz was recently named co-founder of Hope4Hardship, a Massachusetts non-profit organization providing complimentary services to homeowners facing the devastating threat of being foreclosed on and losing their home.

Vaz will serve in this role in addition to his duties as a Realtor at the Century21 Signature Properties, 980 Reed Road in Dartmouth, MA. Vaz is also the owner of Vaz Construction of New Bedford, MA; a well-established, community entrusted construction company, specializing in both commercial and residential renovations, refits, building and development.

“Michael brings a wealth of experience to Hope4Hardship. The knowledge he’s gained both in real estate and running a successful construction gives him a perspective that will be incredibly helpful with our clients,” said Michael Russell, founder of Hope4Hardship.

Shares Vaz, “We all have struggles. There is nothing more gratifying than helping people who see no hope in saving their homes to find a positive resolution. Whether that’s saving their home or improving their situation so they can start anew.”

Vaz became a sales professional with CENTURY 21 in 2019. He’s also worked in the construction industry for 17 years, starting Vaz Construction in 2012. Today, Vaz Construction employs 47 people.

Vaz, a New Bedford, MA native, has strong, generational ties to the New Beford community.

Hope4Hardship’s services include consultation, representation on behalf of the homeowner in talks with banks and mortgage companies, administrative support, assistance application services and ongoing consultation. As a non-profit organization, Hope 4 Hardship offers its extensive services free of charge.

Whether it’s finding a way to keep your home or exploring other options, Hope4Hardship is committed to guiding homeowners toward the best possible outcome.

If you or someone you know is facing foreclosure or in the process being foreclosed, it’s essential to explore all options before making any life-altering decisions. Hope4Hardship is here to help. To schedule a confidential consultation, call 508-501-9214 or email help@hope4hardship.com.

About Hope 4 Hardship

Hope 4 Hardship is a non-profit corporation dedicated to helping homeowners in financial distress avoid foreclosure and find a path to financial recovery. Founded by Michael Russell, the organization has already helped thousands of homeowners regain control of their financial future. For more information, visit www.hope4hardship.org.

Hope4Hardship Founder Michael Russell recently appeared on RadioEntrepreneurs.com. The segment was hosted by RadioEntrepreneurs.com’s Jonathan Freedman.

In a 15-minute interview, Michael shared why he founded Hope4Hardship and the true irony of foreclosure. Here are a few bytes from the interview:

“95% of homeowners who fall behind on their mortgage want to retain their property. And all banks want the homeowner to stay in the property. They don’t want to foreclose. So, we go to work on a relatively systematic approach of helping these folks and creating assistance applications for various programs that are available out there and through the bank themselves.”

“There are 100 notices of intent to foreclose recorded in land court every week in Massachusetts in the last year.”

“I don’t ask any money from anybody ever to help them do this. And that is in large part just from my own experience in my life.”

“The thing that foreclosure affected most in my life was the collateral damage that ripped through my family as a result of that chaos. It took me all of 10 years to resolve those issues within my family and to turn my own life around.”

Michael Russell recently appeared on the Get OnPoint podcast with FocalPoint Coach Jason Mundy. The episode was entitled “Home for the Holidays: Mike Russell explains founding of his non-profit that prevents foreclosure. Here’s a notable quote:

“The size and strength of my real estate operation defined who I was as a human being and the broken piece of that thinking was the obvious piece: how I treated other people. That is what determines who I am as a human being. Not how many millions of dollars’ worth of real estate we sold or how many know sales associates I took from this guy. Yet that was the game, man. It was all false self stuff. I can’t describe to you how grateful I am for the changes that have occurred within me. It is a much more peaceful existence. I no longer live in fear in my business.”

For more, check out the full interview.

DATELINE: DARTMOUTH, MA…

Westport, MA resident Jacob Almeida was recently named co-founder of Hope4Hardship, a Massachusetts non-profit organization providing complimentary services to homeowners facing the devastating threat of being foreclosed on and losing their home.

Almeida will serve in this role in addition to his duties as a broker at the Century21 Signature Properties, 980 Reed Road in Dartmouth, MA.

“We’re grateful to have Jacob on board in this important mission of helping homeowners successfully navigate the complex intricacies of avoiding foreclosure,” said Michael Russell, founder of Hope4Hardship. “Jacob has been an invaluable asset to us at CENTURY 21 and I know he will bring his knowledge, compassion and wisdom from his own experiences to Hope4Hardship.”

Shares Almeida, “In my 20s, I owned some rental properties and was doing well. Then the crash hit in ’08 and both foreclosure and bankruptcy were a looming possibility. Thankfully, I was able to avoid both, but it is a path I had to forge alone.  When the opportunity was presented to me, to support, guide and educate folks facing the same plight I did, it was a no brainer to hop on board.”

Almeida became a sales professional with CENTURY 21 in 2019. Prior to that, he worked in an IT role for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

“When my son got to an age where he was playing baseball and involved in other activities, I wanted to be able to be there to see games or even coach. I’d always had an interest in real estate and the timing was right for a career change,” said Almeida. “It was a great move for our family. Now, with Hope4Hardship, I can help other families too.”

Almeida, a New Bedford, MA native, and his wife live with their daughter and two sons.

Hope4Hardship’s services include consultation, representation on behalf of the homeowner in talks with banks and mortgage companies, administrative support, assistance application services and ongoing consultation. As a non-profit organization, Hope 4 Hardship offers its extensive services free of charge.

Whether it’s finding a way to keep your home or exploring other options, Hope4Hardship is committed to guiding homeowners toward the best possible outcome.

If you or someone you know is facing foreclosure or in the process being foreclosed, it’s essential to explore all options before making any life-altering decisions. Hope4Hardship is here to help. To schedule a confidential consultation, call 508-501-9214 or email help@hope4hardship.com.

About Hope 4 Hardship

Hope 4 Hardship is a non-profit corporation dedicated to helping homeowners in financial distress avoid foreclosure and find a path to financial recovery. Founded by Michael Russell, the organization has already helped thousands of homeowners regain control of their financial future. For more information, visit www.hope4hardship.org.

Dartmouth resident Michael Russell, an award-winning Century 21 agency owner and broker, recently launched Hope4Hardship. This newly established non-profit organization provides complimentary services to homeowners facing the devastating threat of being foreclosed on and losing their home.

Hope4Hardship’s services include consultation, representation on behalf of the homeowner in talks with banks and mortgage companies, administrative support, assistance application services and ongoing consultation.

“I have been through the gauntlet of financial chaos, being foreclosed on, bankruptcy and all the emotional lows that accompany them; largely the same things Hope4Hardship clients are going through. Only I didn’t have the knowledge back then to avoid bankruptcy and losing my property,” said Russell. “After facing up to my relatively tragic fiscal irresponsibility and making amends with loved ones I hurt along the way, I decided to help people in similar situations as part of my real estate practice.”

After an initial consultation, Hope4Hardship works closely with homeowners and advocates on their behalf with banks to explore every possible avenue for keeping their home.

Adds Russell, “Remarkably, 100 percent of the time Hope4Hardship is able to help people save their home from foreclosure, but only if the homeowner stays in consistent contact, provides all necessary documentation and doesn’t give up along the way.   Unfortunately, 50 percent of the time, homeowners let go of the persistence required to see the process through completely.  The bottom line is, foreclosure can always be avoided if the homeowner is committed throughout the process.”

In this current real estate market, some sellers opt to simply sell their home.  With property appreciation on an all-time upward trajectory, walking away with a healthy profit even after falling behind, is more common than ever.

“What most people don’t realize is that the bank—often seen as adversaries in these situations—can be your biggest ally toward financial recovery,” said Russell.

Part of the pact Russell made in creating Hope4Hardship was not to charge homeowners for its services. The only things Hope4Hardship asks for is a testimonial should you be able to save your home and an agreement that should you sell your home in the future, you hire Century 21 to help you.

Said Kevin M. of Plymouth, “I got behind on my mortgage due to a number of factors—in particular two car payments, ironically for two cars that also needed extensive repairs. Wells Fargo started the foreclosure process within three months. Obviously, I was freaking out. Michael Russell reached out anonymously. He told me his personal story of being foreclosed and said that he wanted to help. I shot down to meet him that very day. He called the mortgage company with me at his side. We found out what the process was. I followed his directions. He saved my house.”

As a non-profit organization, Hope4Hardship offers its extensive services free of charge. Whether it’s finding a way to keep your home or exploring other options such as a sale or federal bankruptcy protection, Hope4Hardship is committed to guiding homeowners toward the best possible outcome.

If you or someone you know is facing foreclosure or in the process being foreclosed, it’s essential to explore all options before making any life-altering decisions. Hope4Hardship is here to help. To schedule a confidential consultation, call 508-501-9214 or email help@hope4hardship.com.

About Hope4Hardship

Hope4Hardship is a non-profit corporation dedicated to helping homeowners in financial distress avoid foreclosure and find a path to financial recovery. Founded by Michael Russell, the organization has already helped thousands of homeowners regain control of their financial future. For more information, visit www.hope4hardship.org.