Best Tips for Avoiding Foreclosure

Best Tips To Avoid or Stop Foreclosure Now! 

Are you having a problem in these tough times keeping up with your mortgage payments? Have you received a notice from your current  bank or lender asking you to contact them? Many people have, you are not alone. 

 Don't ignore the letters from your lender
 Contact your lender immediately
 Contact a HUD-approved housing counseling agency
      Toll FREE (800) 569-4287
      TTY (800) 877-8339

If you are no able to make your mortgage payment:

1. Make sure you don't ignore the problem.
The further behind you become, the harder it will be to reinstate your loan and the more likely that you will lose your house.

2. Contact your bank or lender as soon as you realize that you have a problem.
Lenders do not want your house or other real property. They have options to help borrowers through difficult financial times.

3. Open and respond to all mail you recieve from your lender.
The first notices you receive will offer good information about foreclosure prevention options that can help you weather financial problems. Later mail may include important notices of pending legal action.  Your failure to open the mail will not be an excuse in foreclosure court.

 
4. Know your mortgage rights.
Find your loan documents and read them so you know what your lender may do if you can't make your payments.  Learn about the foreclosure laws and timeframes in your state (as every state is different) by contacting the State Government Housing Office. 

 
5. Understand foreclosure prevention options.
Valuable information about foreclosure prevention (also called loss mitigation) options can be found online.

6. Contact a HUD-approved housing counselor right away.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) funds free or very low-cost housing counseling nationwide. Housing counselors can help you understand the law and your options, organize your finances and represent you in negotiations with your lender, if you need this assistance. Find a HUD-approved housing counselor near you or call (800) 569-4287 or TTY (800) 877-8339.

7. Prioritize your spending-- review yor payment plans.
After healthcare, keeping your house should be your first priority.  Review your finances and see where you can cut spending in order to make your mortgage payment.  Look for optional expenses--cable TV, memberships, entertainment--that you can eliminate. Delay payments on credit cards and other "unsecured" debt until you have paid your mortgage.

8. Use your assets. 
Do you have assets--a second car, jewelry, a whole life insurance policy--that you can sell for cash to help reinstate your loan? Can anyone in your household get an extra job to bring in additional income?  Even if these efforts don't significantly increase your available cash or your income, they demonstrate to your lender that you are willing to make sacrifices to keep your home. 

 
9. Avoid foreclosure prevention companies. Beware. 
You don't need to pay fees for foreclosure prevention help--use that money to pay the mortgage instead. Many for-profit companies will contact you promising to negotiate with your lender. While these may be legitimate businesses, they will charge you a hefty fee (often two or three month's mortgage payment) for information and services your lender or a HUD-approved housing counselor will provide free if you contact them.

10. Don't lose your house to foreclosure recovery scams!
If any company claims they can stop your foreclosure immediately and if you sign a document appointing them to act on your behalf, you may well be signing over the title to your property and becoming a renter in your own home! Never sign a legal document without reading and understanding all the terms and getting professional advice from an attorney, a trusted real estate professional or a HUD-approved housing counselor. Get help from professionals you trust. 

 These are my best tips to help you stop or avoid foreclosure.