How to Avoid Foreclosure?

If you want to avoid foreclosure the first thing that you should do is meet your Lender. Lenders foreclose by filing a Notice of Default to protect their interests. If you're not in a position to make your mortgage payment on time, just call your lender and tell them your problem. They may give you some time.



If a lender sends you a letter don't ignore them as it may worsen the situation. On knowing about your hardships, lender may provide you some options which may be of help to you.



Forbearance:

Forbearance means lenders postpone foreclosure by giving time to the borrower to make up for overdue payments. Before taking any legal action, lenders may wait for some time and make a repayment plan that may work for you. In Forbearance, your lender may postpone your mortgage payments for a limited period of time. Your lender will add the missed home loan payments to your mortgage-extending your loan period but allowing you to keep your house and your credit card in better standing.



Your lender may want you to stick to your payment schedule in order to avoid foreclosure.



Debt Forgiveness:

Debt Forgiveness means lender writes off a portion of outstanding debt. If you agree on paying the mortgage payment on time after a certain period, lender may forgo a payment or two. He may give you a break and waive your obligation. But this situation rarely arises.



Repayment Plan:

If your payment is, say, $1200 a month, the lender might let you add $100 a month to each payment for a year until you are caught up.



This is called a repayment plan.



Note modification:

Note modification can prevent foreclosure and bank repossessions. If your mortgage is an adjustable loan, the lender might freeze the interest rate before it increases or change the interest rate to a more manageable rate for you. A lender might also extend the amortization period.



Refinance:

Many homeowners find it difficult to pay mortgage amount on time which leads to foreclosure. In order to avoid foreclosure, refinance method can be followed.



A homeowner can take a new loan and pay off the original loan.



Partial claim:

A partial claim is an option available to homeowners with FHA loans who meet the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) guidelines for a partial claim. With this option, homeowners are given an interest free loan, guaranteed by HUD, to pay off the arrears and reinstate a delinquent loan. This loan must be repaid when the first mortgage is paid off, or when the property is sold. After a partial claim is completed, the homeowner does not need to worry about foreclosure or losing their home.