Wednesday, January 31, 2018

How I Created a Brighter Financial Future for Myself, My Family, and My Business by Helping Home Owners Save Their Properties

Hello my name is Augustine Diji.

In 2010, I wrote the book Strategic Default: How to Create a Brighter Financial Future for You,Your Family or Your Business. Since then I have helped many people save their homes or investment properties from foreclosure. With my assistance homeowners obtained loan modifications. I devised strategies for “holding off” lenders during foreclosure proceedings by sharing my investigative research with clients and their attorneys on the misuse of loan and foreclosure documents. I have negotiated principle and interest rate reductions for myself, friends and clients at times eliminating the entire principle balance. I have obtained loan modifications and principle reductions on the loans for my properties.

What started out as financial self-preservation became an experience in how to turn failure into success. I helped over 100 people save their homes or investment properties and, most importantly, I helped the same clients “create a brighter financial future” for themselves. With my work came the greatest satisfaction: Helping my friends and clients regain their sanity and confidence while protecting their family and financial livelihood.

By joining with me to “fight the fight for financial self-preservation” all of us so called “strategic defaulters” ended up regaining personal and financial security. I finally understood 2 simple truths. First. Failure can make you better because it opens the door to humility. Second. The path to success is intertwined with the success of others. Therefore, it is important to give the best of you to the rest of us.

For me, getting here was not an easy journey.

In 2006, my descent to personal and financial ruin began to pick up pace. I was an arrogant, “too smart for my own good”, real estate attorney. On top of that, at the time I neglected my marriage by being singularly focused on work and entertainment. Absolutely forgetting my mother’s and my father’s lessons about developing personal integrity, ensuring family support and being true to oneself I became a greedy, self-centered person who refused to listen.

By 2007 I was in foreclosure on all my properties while my law career was slipping away through my fingers. In 2010 my marriage came to end (no children) and I was forced to resign from the practice of law. My reputation was in tatters. I lost the respect of friends and colleagues. I was close to the edge of total personal and financial ruin. I became so paranoid that “everyone knew I was a loser” I hid myself from family, friends and the outside world.

Why am I sharing all of this?

Well there are reasons why certain outcomes befall each one us. As time went on it became clear that I needed to lose everything in order to shed the “fake”, scared, insecure man standing in front of the mirror.

The first step: Learning how to clear my mind of “self-made” fears and negative thoughts. So, I became serious about practicing meditation, Chi Gung and yoga.

During my worst I learned to become my best. I met my best friend who became my wife. I worked (and continue to work) long and hard to repair broken relationships in order to regain trust. I am paying off most debts. I sought the advice of many close friends, mentors, elders and respected professionals. I embraced the pain of rejection as motivation to become a better person. I took it on the chin because I was told it was the only way to survive.

The wise words of a close friend soon became true: “Things are only as bad as you think they are. Change your thinking.”

Now, in 2020, I am happily married with 2 beautiful children. I became a yoga teacher after studying in India. My partner and I operate a yoga studio in Brooklyn, New York called Greene Moments Studio. I am a New York State licensed real estate broker. I am an expert in strategic default consulting, foreclosure prevention and loan modification negotiations. My work has helped property owners regain tens of millions of dollars in equity as they have been beneficiaries of rising real estate market values. I am proud to have helped people gain their peace of mind.

Most importantly, with the support of an amazing family I have become the best version of myself.
Remember that you are not alone on your journey and you always have the power to change for the better.

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