If foreclosure is looming over you like a black cloud on a sunny day, don’t ignore the rain. Open the letters your lender (or the city/county) is sending you and see where you are at in the process. Make sure you find your documents and read them thoroughly to know what to expect when you don’t make your payments. If they have just begun to issue notices of non-payment, they haven’t issued the foreclosure yet. But if you ignore the pending legal action letters, that is no excuse in court. You may still have time to handle this situation and avoid a foreclosure on your credit report.
Work With The Government
Contact your city/county/state to learn more about the foreclosure time frame you are dealing with. When you learn the time frame and the different steps of foreclosure and compare that with what letters or other communication from your lender, this will determine how quickly you need to move to secure your exit strategy. The Federal Government’s Housing of Urban Development department has a handful of programs that may offer you a way out of your situation. A lot of these programs are determined on the home’s value versus how much is left on the loan. HUD also has counseling options available to help you understand your financial situation and what options may or may not work for you.
Spend Wisely
Another way to avoid foreclosure is to take a long, hard look at your personal finances. Design a budget that will fit your basic needs like food, gas, and mortgage payment. Skip the payments on optional or unnecessary items, like credit cards or expanded cable packages. Maybe opt for a cheaper phone plan and skip eating out. You might have to consider ways to make extra money, such as obtaining an extra job or finding odd jobs to do on social market boards or other local listing sites. You may also want to take a look at your home furnishings and sell the higher quality items to make a little extra cash. These options are great if you have a temporary hardship and are expecting to be able to make your mortgage payments more successfully in the next few months.
Rent It Out
A creative way to avoid foreclosure is to rent out your house to someone else. Their rent payment now covers your mortgage and insurance payment. That means you would have to find somewhere else to live that is more affordable and move out. You could also rearrange your house to allow for a roommate to share your house and, depending on the amount of your mortgage payment, they might be able to pay a large portion of it to make it more affordable for you and fit better in your budget. On the other hand, renting out your home may lead to additional headaches from your renters and potential damage to your home.
Short Sale
One option is to try a short sale of the property. This is where the bank will negotiate a sale price with a buyer and sells your house short of what is owed on it. Trust us, the bank does not want to own your house. They will usually take an offer that is close to the loan principal, even if the home is worth more than what is left. This can be a good option if you bank is willing to work with you and give you plenty of time to complete the short sale. You need to understand that the back does not have to offer you a short sale…the bank will have to agree to the short sale, agree to the sales price, and these usually take around 6 months to complete.
Sell It Directly to An Investor
The most simple way to avoid foreclosure is to nip it in the bud with a quick sale of the property. There are lots of investors that can buy your property before the foreclosure sale take place allowing you to avoid the consequences of foreclosure. Please keep in mind that not all investors are the same. Money Team Properties can quickly assess your property and make you a cash offer to buy the property as-is and you can sell your house fast before the foreclosure date.