Foreclosure: Can It Be Stopped?

Are you a homeowner who has been ignoring the warning letters and telephone calls from your bank?  If you are, you may find yourself in the middle of a foreclosure crisis.  At this point in time, fear may automatically set in.  What will you do?  Where you will live?  Can you afford to move?  Before you let fear take over, it is important to know that foreclosures can be stopped. Although this process is not easy, it can be done.

It is advised that you speak with your financial lender as soon as you find yourself experiencing financial difficulties.  For example, when you get laid off or fired from your job, schedule an appointment to meet with your lender and develop a plan, before any problems arise.  At the very least, communication should be made when you start receive intent to foreclosure notices.  Even if you have a sign on your home stating that the foreclosure process has officially begun, you can still talk to your financial lender.  In this instance, the sooner you do so the better.

As for why you should talk to your financial lender, even at the last minute, they want to avoid foreclosure as much as you do.  Often times, lenders lose a considerable amount of money on the sale of foreclosure homes.  If you can prove that your financial troubles are only temporary, your lender may give you a reprieve.  They may stop the foreclosure proceedings for you.  As for what can lead to this, you or your spouse getting a second job can help.

If you are dealing with a locally owned and operated bank, which you have been a loyal customer of, it is important to outright ask what can be done.  Offer suggestions yourself, if you do not receive them.  Could you continue making all future mortgage payments on time, but develop a payment plan for your past due amount?  Can you only pay interest for the time being?  Can you be given time to sell your home, as opposed to simply just losing it?  These are all important questions that you should ask.

Another way that foreclosures can be stopped, in most states, is with a declaration of bankruptcy.  However, this step is one that should not be made on a whim.  It is first important to meet with an attorney specializing in bankruptcy.  If you file for bankruptcy will the foreclosure proceedings stop?  Can you make it so that your home is not considered an asset in bankruptcy proceedings?  If so, this is the avenue that you may want to take.  However, since bankruptcy can negatively influence your credit, it should only be used as a last resort.

Before you take any action with the hopes of stopping foreclosure, you need to closely examine the situation at hand.  For starters, would you like to get out from under your property?  If it is a money-pit that needs constant repairs, it might just be easier to go the route of foreclosure or even outright allow your bank to sell the property.  If you want to keep your home, make sure that you can honestly do so.  It is recommended that you take forty percent of your income and apply that towards your living expenses, this includes mortgages and taxes.  If this isn’t possible for you to do, the avoidance of foreclosure now may result in the process starting again in a few months.