How to Avoid Foreclosure

www.bigdawgsbuyhouses.com

www.realestatesecretsoftheunknown.com

The Leader in Creative Real Estate Solutions

The guidance below (and in the "How to Avoid

Foreclosure" pamphlet) is applicable to homeowners with FHA Insured loans. While a good deal of this information may apply to all homeowners in danger of losing their homes, not all of the foreclosure avoidance tools mentioned may be available to you if you have a VA or conventional loan. Additionally, HUD/FHA does not have any Loss Mitigation oversight over VA or conventional loans. Please contact your lender or a housing counseling agency.

Q: What Happens When I Miss My Mortgage Payments?

Foreclosure may occur. This is the legal means that your

lender can use to repossess (take over) your home. When this happens, you must move out of your house. If your property is worth less than the total amount you owe on your mortgage loan, a deficiency judgment  could be pursued. If that happens, you not only lose your home, you also would owe HUD an additional amount. Both foreclosures and deficiency judgments could seriously affect your ability to qualify for

credit in the future. So you should avoid foreclosure if

possible.

Q: What Should I Do?

1. DO NOT IGNORE THE LETTERS FROM YOUR LENDER.

If you are having problems making your

payments, call or write to your lender's Loss Mitigation

Department without delay. Explain your situation. Be

prepared to provide them with financial information, such

as your monthly income and expenses. Without this

information, they may not be able to help.

2. Stay in your home for now. You may not qualify for

assistance if you abandon your property.

3. Contact a HUD-approved housing counseling agency.

Call (800) 569-4287 or TDD (800) 877-8339 for the

housing counseling agency nearest you. These agencies are valuable resources. They frequently have information on services and programs offered by Government agencies as well as private and community organizations that could help you. The housing counseling agency may also offer credit counseling. These services are usually free of charge.

You may be considered for the following:

Special Forbearance.Your lender may be able to arrange a repayment plan based on your financial situation and may even provide for a temporary reduction or suspension of your payments. You may qualify for this if you have recently experienced a reduction in income or an increase

in living expenses. You must furnish infoinformation to

yourlender to show that you would be able to meet the

requirements of the new payment plan.Mortgage

Modification. You may be able to refinance the debt and/or extend the term of your mortgage loan. This may help you catch up by reducing the monthly payments to a more affordable level. You may qualify if you have recovered from a financial problem and can afford the new payment amount.Partial Claim. Your lender may be able to work with you to obtain a one-time payment from the FHA

Insurance fund to bring your mortgage current. You may

qualify if:

1. your loan is at least 4 months delinquent but no more

than 12 months delinquent;

2. you are able to begin making full mortgage payments.

The Leader in Creative Real Estate Solutions

When your lender files a Partial Claim, the U.S.

Department of Housing and Urban Development will pay

your lender the amount necessary to bring your mortgage

current. You must execute a Promissory Note, and a Lien

will be placed on your property until the Promissory Note

is paid in full.

The Promissory Note is interest-free and is due when you

pay off the first mortgage or when you sell the property.

Pre-foreclosure sale. This will allow you to avoid

foreclosure by selling your property for an amount less than

the amount necessary to pay off your mortgage loan.

You may qualify if:

1. the loan is at least 2 months delinquent;

2. you are able to sell your house within 3 to 5 months; and

3. a new appraisal (that your lender will obtain) shows that

the value of your home meets HUD program guidelines.

Deed-in-lieu of foreclosure. As a last resort, you may be

able to voluntarily "give back" your property to the lender.

This won't save your house, but it is not as damaging to

your credit rating as a foreclosure.

The Leader in Creative Real Estate Solutions

You can qualify if:

1. you are in default and don't qualify for any of the other

options;

2. your attempts at selling the house before foreclosure

were unsuccessful; and

3. you don't have another FHA mortgage in default.

Q: How Do I Know if I Qualify for Any of These

Alternatives?

Your lender will determine if you qualify for any of the

alternatives.

A housing counseling agency can also help you determine

which, if any, of these options may meet your needs and

also assist you in interacting with your lender. Call (800)

569-4287 or TDD (800) 877-8339.

Q: Should I Be Aware of Anything Else?

Yes. Beware of scams! Solutions that sound too simple or

too good to be true usually are. If you're selling your home

without professional guidance, beware of buyers who try to

rush you through the process. Unfortunately, there are

people who may try to take advantage of your financial

difficulty. Be especially alert to the following:

The Leader in Creative Real Estate Solutions

Equity skimming. In this type of scam, a "buyer"

approaches you, offering to get you out of financial trouble

by promising to pay off your mortgage or give you a sum

of money when the property is sold. The "buyer" may

suggest that you move out quickly and deed the property to

him or her. The "buyer" then collects rent for a time, does

not make any mortgage payments, and allows the lender to

foreclose. Remember, signing over your deed to someone

else does not necessarily relieve you of your obligation on

your loan.

Phony counseling agencies. Some groups calling

themselves "counseling agencies" may approach you and

offer to perform certain services for a fee. These could well

be services you could do for yourself for free, such as

negotiating a new payment plan with your lender, or

pursuing a pre-foreclosure sale. If you have any doubt

about paying for such services, call a HUD-approved

housing counseling agency at (800) 569-4287 or TDD

(800) 877-8339. Do this before you pay anyone or sign

anything.

Q: Are There Any Precautions I Can Take?

Here are several precautions that should help you avoid

being "taken" by a scam artist:

1. Don't sign any papers you don't fully understand.

2. Make sure you get all "promises" in writing.

3. Beware of any contract of sale of loan assumption where

you are not formally released from liability for your

mortgage debt.

4. Check with a lawyer or your mortgage company before

entering into any deal involving your home.

5. If you're selling the house yourself to avoid foreclosure,

check to see if there are any complaints against the

prospective buyer. You can contact your state's Attorney

General, the State Real Estate Commission, or the local

District Attorney's Consumer Fraud Unit for this type of

information.

Q: What Are the Main Points I Should Remember?

1. Don't lose your home and damage your credit history.

2. Call or write your mortgage lender immediately and be

honest about your financial situation.

3. Stay in your home to make sure you qualify for

The Leader in Creative Real Estate Solutions

assistance.

4. Arrange an appointment with a HUD-approved housing

counselor to explore your options at (800) 569-4287 or

TDD (800) 877-8339.

5. Cooperate with the counselor or lender trying to help

you.

6. Explore every alternative to keep your home.

7. Beware of scams.

8. Do not sign anything you don't understand. And

remember that signing over the deed to someone else does

not necessarily relieve you of your loan obligation.

Act now. Delaying can't help. If you do nothing,

YOU WILL LOSE YOUR HOME and your

good credit rating.

Don’t Let Them Take Your Home