How To Stop Foreclosure: Helpful Tips

Did you buy your house when the market was at its peak, only to find yourself now owing more on your mortgage than your property is worth? Are you having trouble making those mortgage payments? Factors, such as job loss, illness, divorce, or a death in the family can affect your ability to make your house payments. It is amazing how fast the months go buy when you're struggling to pay your bills. I'm sure you've noticed all the foreclosure and bank owned property signs popping up all over your neighborhood, so you realize you are not alone. If you find those notices piling up from your lender, you can start to feel desperate and scared. Losing your home would be a devastating experience. Here are a few tips to help you stop foreclosure

• The most important thing you can do is not to ignore the problem. Many people tend to become overwhelmed and try to avoid facing the issue. This is a big mistake and will only aggravate things. Be honest with your mortgage lender and keep the lines of communication with him/her open. Tell them whatever hardship has befallen you that is making it difficult for you to make your payments. The last resort for them would be to take your house and they do not want to do that. They will work with you to help figure out a plan to resolve your debt and avoid your foreclosure. So it is imperative to stay in contact no matter how behind you are.

• If you feel incapable of dealing with your lender, get help. There are HUD counselors you can consult. They have a website that has a lot of useful information for you. There are also companies out there who specialize in dealing with mortgage lenders. Since this is not a free service, make sure you research them and find a reputable company with a good track record. They will have experience in dealing with your specific issues, and may be able to help resolve things with your lender and stop foreclosure.

• Different solutions you can discuss with your lender include: adding your debt onto the back end of your mortgage to bring you current, lowering your interest rate, reducing your payment amount, and extending your grace period. Depending on what your hardship is and when you can expect it to improve, there are multiple avenues you and your lender can explore to come to an agreement and avoid foreclosure.

• Come up with a plan to repay your debt. You may want to start with short-term solutions. Selling a car, jewelry, or other valuable items to make a payment will go a long way in proving your willingness to resolve your issues. Restructure your budget and cut back where you can. Let your lender know how and when you expect your income to increase, ie with a new job, inheritance, etc. The more proactive you are, the better.

Facing the loss of your home for whatever reason can be frightening. Hopefully, these tips can help you stop foreclosure and prevent that from happening.