Are you in a situation where you are losing your house? Maybe you were injured on the job and are temporarily out of work, have permanently lost your job, or the arm on your adjustable-rate mortgage "adjusted" to a level where it has become impossible to make the minimum monthly payment?
If this describes you, you are not alone. Thousand and thousands of Americans right now are finding themselves in this very scenario and don't know what to do or where to turn.
Statistics show that 80% of people in this situation want to keep their house. Fortunately, there are some solutions to this dilemma.
REFINANCE
If you have some equity in your house you may want to refinance. Work with your lender to try to re-fi the loan and get your payments down to something more manageable.
LOSS MITIGATION
If you have fallen behind in payments because you've had a temporary set-back, and you think you might be able to make up the payments, you could try working with your lender to find out if you could get set up on a payment-plan to get caught up on what you owe under the existing loan. Your lender may just work with you if you:
1) Can prove the situation which caused the lapse in payments was temporary
2) Have a good work history prior to your set-back
3) Are back at work; and/or
4) Have a lump sum of money in the bank
SHORT SALE
After exploring whether or not the bank can work out a payment-plan, and discovering that you just don't have enough cash flowing in your bank account each month to meet the bank's new proposed plan, or you just don't' meet the bank's criteria for their assistance, you can always work with a real estate investor to do a "short sale" with your lender. Basically, the investor gathers up all your financial and hardship information, presents it to the bank, and then if the bank approves a sale, they will discount the pay-off amount of the loan so the investor can buy the house. This gets you out quickly and without any blemishes on your credit.
BANKRUPTCY
Sometimes it's necessary. When the situation is such that you just can't get caught up, maybe you aren't back at work yet, or some other life-issue has cropped up that just can't be avoided, this is one option. It will, however, show up on your credit history for 10 years.
Find an investor who specializes in these types of transactions and you've got it made. There are foreclosure specialists all across the country right now helping people get out of what is usually one of life's most difficult events. The right investor can help you with the negotiations with your lender, and can refer you to attorneys and experts who can literally step in and coordinate what's required on your behalf.
Get to know a trusted real estate investor in your area. They are a wealth of information and can shoulder much of your burden.
