What To Do When Foreclosure Happens

Foreclosures are up 72% from the same period last year. This could create a previously unheard of amount of homeowners losing their homes. If the trend continues, some where around 1.2 million people will be to turning their homes back to the mortgage holders and lenders. Georgia and Colorado are ranked number 1 and 2 in foreclosures. Georgia has a rate of 1 in every 127 households filing foreclosure. This number also takes into consideration the drop in foreclosures earlier this year, so the amount could have been higher.

When you are being foreclosed upon, you should take the following steps:

1. Make contact with the lender and try to work out more favorable conditions on the loan. Lenders do not want to foreclose due to the amount of effort and publicity they would receive. So, in many situations they may work out a better deal to avoid the costly foreclosure formality. It may actually save them money in the long run.

2. If your property has increased in value or the mortgage has been paid down over time, you might now have some equity in it. It may be possible to sell the home on your terms and come out with some extra cash rather than walk away with nothing and the credit issues from a foreclosure.

3. Lastly, in order to save your house, you might be able to take a second mortgage or home equity loan on the property if you can make the extra payments on the loan. If you know there is money on the way and you really want to keep your home, then this may be an option even if you have to take the equity to make the payments to get you back on your feet. However, this is not a good idea to do this if you are just trying to delay the inevitable.

If you are in this situation, be aware that the more desperate you are, the more likely someone will try to take advantage of you. One common situation involves a person offering to buy the property at a reduced price with the promise of renting it back to the former owners. What usually happens is this: the former owner sells and then the new owner refuses to rent it back and forces the former owner to move out. The scam artist now has all the power and owns a valuable piece of real estate, and it used to be yours.

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Gail Metcalf provides foreclosure information on her website Household Wealth

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