To our clients and business partners:

If you have suffered damage and/or loss due to the wildfires, we are terribly sorry and wish for you a hasty recovery. We have been contacted by several of you requesting information related to mortgages and the processing of insurance claims. We will not re-iterate the detailed information and advice you can find online, but will provide some useful links below. We do however wish to offer the following:

INSURANCE: Contact your insurance agent as soon as you can. Your insurance policy likely requires that you file a claim in a timely manner, and your agent may be able to release to you some funds right away in the form of an advance on your claim. Keep receipts for all of your living expenses going forward if you are out of the home. Go online and read up on the advice and procedures you can find .

https://realestate.findlaw.com/owning-a-home/top-ten-tips-for-filing-fire-insurance-claims.html

https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/dealing-with-insurance-after-disaster-29640.html

MORTGAGE LOAN SERVICER: It will be important to contact your loan servicer as well as your insurance agent. (Your loan servicer is the party to whom you make your loan payments.) Yes, there may be temporary loan payment relief programs offered, and your loan servicer will likely be involved in the release of claim funds as the holder of your mortgage is included as an additionally insured party on your policy.

Contact information for your current home loan servicer will be listed on your monthly bill. If you cannot locate any contact information for your servicer, let us know. We will provide.

If you have the same situation regarding your homeowners insurance agent, we can provide contact information as well- if you still have the same insurance company you had at the time of your last refinance or purchase loan done with us.

FINANCIAL AND OTHER ASSISTANCE: There may be state and federal assistance available to individuals.

Link for FEMA California wildfire-related disaster declarations and assistance status: https://tinyurl.com/yabbg2lk

Link for State Emergency Services: http://www.ca.gov/Agencies/Emergency-Services-Governor-s-Office-of