Foreclosure, Mortgage Relief or Bankruptcy?

Posted by Jenny

Should you be struggling with a monetary turmoil and fear losing your property, know you are not alone. Just like millions of other property owners, you may have lost employment or suffered a pay cut, your adjustable rate mortgage could have reset and you can’t afford the payment, or falling property values mean you can not refinance. It may seem that bankruptcy, foreclosure and loss of your dwelling is inevitable. One answer doesn’t cover every scenario, and you’ll have solutions that include keeping your house while you sort out financial challenges. Explore all options before concluding that all will be lost in foreclosure or bankruptcy.

Your mortgage payment, which will include amounts for property insurance and taxes, is perhaps the largest single bill you have to pay every month. The check covers your housing needs, also it symbolizes an investment for many of us homeowners - you’ll find financial and emotional aspects as well. If you cannot make your mortgage payments, you should have a hard review of your situation, financially and otherwise, and come to a decision on an alternative that’s good for you. Consulting a bankruptcy or real estate lawyer in your area can help with your decision-making process.

Consider All Options

Here is a list of options and factors you’ll want to consider:

  • What is the level of your financial crisis - is there a major element, like a job loss, or is paying one debt at the root of the financial problems, like medical bills or your mortgage?
  • Is your financial crisis short-term, such as a short period of unemployment or underemployment, or is there a lasting change, like a disability that can affect your earning power on a long-term basis?
  • How much equity is in your house?
  • How does the value of your house compare to the debt it secures - do you owe more than the house is worth?
  • How does your current home meet your housing needs - is it the right size, what are the ongoing maintenance and ownership costs, and does the location meet your lifestyle, family, and employment needs?
  • Is home ownership the best way to meet your housing needs? Do you have the abilities and resources needed to own the place in which you currently live?
  • If you want to keep your home, have all options for loan modification been explored?
  • If you don’t want to keep your home, have you tried to sell it, either through conventional means or through a short sale?
  • Is your lender willing to pursue foreclosure alternatives, such as accepting a deed in lieu of foreclosure?
  • Have foreclosure proceedings started, and if so, how far along is the process?
  • Would you qualify Chapter 7 or Chapter 13 bankruptcy relief?
  • Do you have other debts, and could those debts be discharged or restructured through bankruptcy?

Making Home Affordable Relief

In advance of reaching the crucial stage of bankruptcy or foreclosure, find out if refinancing or changing your mortgage is a possibility. In reaction to wide-spread economic crises suffered by a lot of homeowners, the Making Home Affordable program offers relief. Financialstability.gov is a government Site that provies information about eligibility and also the process for getting help. The Web site includes an interactive tool to help see whether you’re a candidate for relief.

Making Home Affordable has two kinds of relief:

1.Home Affordable Refinancing for homeowners who’ve loans owned by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. This program targets those who haven’t got the capacity to refinance their mortgages at today’s historically low rates as a result of decreasing home values, leaving them “underwater” with a mortgage balance that’s higher than the house value

2.Home Affordable Modification for homeowners who can’t afford their mortgage payments on account of loss or decrease in income, increased mortgage rates or who don’t get a Home Affordable Refinancing. The program aims to change your mortgage terms and bring the payment within a low priced range

Start by contacting your lender or loan servicer, butbe patient and persistent. These programs are new, and lenders must work to quickly implement the programs and also the demand is high. Even if you don’t qualify for these programs, work with your lender to get a solution. Avoiding foreclosure is frequently best for all parties.

For help with a Savannah GA chapter 13 bankruptcy , select a Savannah Georgia bankruptcy lawyer. A bankruptcy attorney Savannah GA could give you the help you need.

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • Sphinn
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Mixx
  • Google
  • Live

Comments are closed.