With the real estate market declining, even the quote-unquote "real estate investors" are seeing the consequences of buying assets when they are expensive. So many investors purchased properties at the peak of the market and are now experiencing the same fate as many other foreclosure victims: unable to sell, owing more on the home that its current value, and no one interested in purchasing right now. This is making it even more difficult for homeowners to stop foreclosure, since one of their main resources to sell quickly, real estate investors, are now finding it difficult to make a profit in the current market.

Especially worrying is the situation in Nevada, which leads the nation in the rate of foreclosures. Nevada, according to RealtyTrac, is experiencing one foreclosure for every 183 homeowners.

EDIT: Article no longer exists on site.
Flippers Flop As Housing Market Cools

A good overview of the entire mortgage crisis now being experienced by homeowners in record numbers is contained in the article below. From what it looks like, there will not be any new options available for foreclosure victims, besides a potential bailout from the government. And with hundreds of millions of people already taking some kind of subsidy from the government, this will just place an even greater strain on the value of the dollar and the economy. This is have especially worrying consequences if the suggested federal bailout only props up the housing market for a short period of time. It would be far wiser for homeowners to find some way to stop foreclosure on their own, rather than hope for a free check that may never materialize, and will only provide temporary solutions.

EDIT: Article no longer exists on site.
Mortgage Crisis Threat to System Dawning on Congressmen?

It seems like all of the foreclosure news coming out lately has been markedly bad, with many articles even mentioning parallels to the Great Depression of the 1930's. Obviously, this is not good news for homeowners who are facing financial hardships and having trouble keeping on top of their bills. If there is another serious downturn, homeowners will face the possibility of having even fewer options to stop foreclosure, as more and more wealth and resources simply vanish from the marketplace.

This article from BusinessWeek has some great insights as to what is going on in the real estate market right now, and what is expected throughout the rest of 2007 and into 2008.

Why This Slump Is Different

Your foreclosure affects us all and will create small ripple effects in the economy at large. And everyone else's foreclosure is affecting you -- even to the point of pushing you further into foreclosure, just as you are pushing others further into foreclosure. It's no secret by now that the sacrifice of the homeowners has begun. What you need to decide now is how to avoid becoming one of the casualties of this most recent market meltdown and find a solution to foreclosure.

As we've written about before, the unending quest and overriding greed for more house has caused many homeowners, both the innocent and the guilty, to face foreclosure than ever before. With mortgage brokers and homeowners lying on loan applications, appraisers fraudulently inflating home values, and nonexistent bank underwriting guidelines, there is a lot of blame to go around. It is unfortunate, though, that homeowners will be the ones offered up to appease the gods of high investment returns and increasing stock values. Everyone else who has the blood of foreclosure victims on their hands will, barring few exceptions, get away with their actions with no punishment and little investigation.

Homeowners who are behind on their mortgages right now need to put together some plan to stop foreclosure as soon as possible, even if it means selling the house and applying the proceeds to a more affordable home. Selling is often the last option (besides bankruptcy) that homeowners want to consider when facing foreclosure, but there are always more homes available. Especially in markets like we are experiencing now, there are some great deals in housing to be had. And making sure the foreclosure is off of your credit is one of the main reasons to consider selling as a last resort.

Besides selling, there are numerous other options that can be used to save your home from foreclosure, including a loan to stop foreclosure, mortgage modification or mortgage forbearance plans, and using a private investor to do a leaseback or buy-back option. All of these options should be considered when trying to prevent foreclosure from keeping you from owning a home for years. If one does not work, try another, and another, until there is some viable way that you have found to stop foreclosure, either on your own or by enlisting the help of a third-party foreclosure help company. And always keep the last resorts in mind, if they become necessary -- selling the home, bankruptcy to avoid foreclosure, or giving the bank a deed in lieu of foreclosure are all considered last-ditch efforts to stop foreclosure.

But don't let yourself, your family, and your home become another victim of the foreclosure crisis. Your situation may be a result of someone else's foreclosure, and your foreclosure may be affecting someone else, so make sure you put back together your financial situation in the quickest, most efficient manner possible. That way, you can be reasonably assured that you have done everything you could to stop foreclosure and save your home, and you will have created positive actions that could prevent someone else from going into foreclosure and facing the same hardships that you are working on overcoming.

We believe that there are three main sections of any plan to stop foreclosure. While most sites and resources will help with the first two, the last area has been woefully neglected on nearly every website that we have visited that offers foreclosure help to homeowners. These parts of a plan to save a home from foreclosure can be termed basic foreclosure knowledge, negotiation skills, and psychological aspects of foreclosure.

Hundreds of websites, whether they are foreclosure-related or not, contain much of the basic knowledge homeowners can use to save their homes. This includes foreclosure law information, learning definitions to common foreclosure terms, or finding out what options can be used to stop foreclosure. It is possible to save a home without knowing what a loan modification is or without being aware of the requirements of a foreclosure loan, but the more the homeowners know about these options, the more likely they will be to figure out which will be the most successful.

In terms of negotiations with lenders and other foreclosure specialists, foreclosure resources provide some great tools for homeowners. Numerous articles have been written to explain to foreclosure victims what to say when they call the lender, what to ask for, and how to explain their hardship to the lender in the most effective manner. From how to present a short sale to giving the bank a deed in lieu of foreclosure, this type of training is freely available on the web to homeowners who want to work with the lender on their own.

The third area of putting together a plan to stop foreclosure, the psycological aspetcs, however, is neglected by almost every website that offers foreclosure help. These issues come into play with homeowners who know what options are available to them, know exactly what to say to their lender, but just can not seem to get the courage to dial the bank's number and let them know there is a problem and that they want to try to solve it. Obviously, foreclosure is a stressful situation, but hiding from the problem never makes it get any better, especially when a simple phone call could be enough to put the entire foreclosure process on hold or stop it completely. However, homeowners are often tricked into paying hundreds or thousands of dollars to self-proclaimed "foreclosure specialists" who offer to "negotiate on their behalf" with the lender. Far too often, all that these companies do is make the phone call that the homeowners could have done on their own, if they were not experiencing a psychological block relating to their foreclosure.

This is why we will be examining various methods to help foreclosure victims put together and stick to realistic plans to stop foreclosure. Fear of losing the home can be overcome, as can the fear of looking like a failure to the lender. There really is no easy way out of foreclosure, but it does not have to be this hard all the time. In the next weeks and months, we will be posting more about how to create the skills to be able to talk with lenders with no fear and be able to answer any and all of their objections when looking at options that can save a homeowner's house from being auctioned off.

One of the most important igredients in any plan to stop foreclosure is the willingness to follow through. Leaving important decisions in the hands of the lender, mortgage broker, or loss mitigation company will only result in delays and having the file pushed to the side, as companies work much harder on cases where the client is constantly calling for an update.

Some uninformed foreclosure victims are tricked into sending away thousands of dollars to a company that promises foreclosure help, tells the homeowners not to worry or contact the lender, and then does nothing. The homeowners will only call the company back once they are certain of losing their home, and state the illogical belief that "I thought everything was taken care of." Until there is a repayment plan in place, or a closing for a foreclosure loan scheduled with the title company, nothing is taken care of. And foreclosure victims should not trust anyone to keep on top of what is going on with their property.

Unfortunately, there is usually no payoff in simple, blind faith, especially when it comes to foreclosure. The real secret is that just wishing the problem will go away will only attract it even closer. Too many foreclosure victims that we speak with every day have relied upon everyone besides themselves for their most complex financial decisions. Some even rely upon their mortgage brokers to help them lie to get a bigger house than they could have afforded if their own value system was strong enough to realize that there would be a price to pay for lying. That price, as it seems to be turning out, is foreclosure and the loss of home.

Following up with whatever option to stop foreclosure that you are working on is vitally important to that plan working out at all. The follow up can be the difference between anyone working on your file, and someone just putting it aside until you go away. You may feel bad about calling the loss mitigator or your lender several times a day, but this is your house we are talking about. Never let a broker or specialist tell you they are waiting on something or will be doing something for you sometime in the future -- always get a firm date and time from them, and make sure they stick to that time. Schedule their time to work on your file, and have them adhere to their plan. The plan is for them to help you stop foreclosure, and you have to be sure they are completing the plan in the most effective manner possible.

And when a professional loss mitigator or mortgage broker tells you he is waiting on something from your lender, or a title company, or an appraiser, then call the lender, title company, or appraiser and ask when the task will be completed. Unless you want to lose your home, never leave things up in the air with no real action being taken. It is fine if companies work on other files besides yours, since there are many more homeowners who need a plan to stop foreclosure, but do not let the companies you choose to work with work on other files instead of yours. You hired them to work for you, so make sure they earn their fat commission or fee by keeping on top of their activities at all times. Until you save your home from foreclosure, through a loan to stop foreclosure or a mortgage forbearance or otherwise, just assume there is something else that someone needs to do, and call them to make sure it gets done.

As promised, here is another foreclosure/real estate market related article. Hopefully, all of our main foreclosure loan closings will be done today, and we will return to regular blog postings starting on Monday, April 23, 2007. It has been great helping such a large number of clients save their homes and stop foreclosure.

EDIT: Article no longer exists on site.
Trouble in Squanderville

We've been busy all day and all week getting a few new foreclosure loans closed for some of our clients, so there may not be any substantial blog posts for the next couple days. To make up for the lack of posts on how to stop foreclosure, though, we've added a few links to some interesting foreclosure/real estate articles.

'Upside Down' Home Sellers Owe More Than They Get

Foreclosure victims who lose their homes to foreclosure are often interested in purchasing a new home as quickly as possible. While the foreclosure will stay on the former homeowners' credit for 7-10 years, this does not mean that they will not be able to qualify for a new home loan in a shorter period than that. However, it takes work to be able to qualify for a new home after foreclosure.

The quickest way to get a mortgage after facing foreclosure is to save up 35% as a down payment. This is because some foreclosure lenders will loan up to 65% LTV of the value of the home right after foreclosure or when they are still in foreclosure. Of course, other qualifications may apply, and rates will not be great if there was a previous foreclosure involved, but having a substantial amount of equity in the property will give the homeowners a new cushion to prevent from becoming a victim to foreclosure again.

But, if the homeowners don't plan on saving up tens of thousands of dollars, then they will have a bit more work to do, in terms of repairing their situation to the point where the foreclosure is just one small mark on an otherwise pristine credit history.

The best place to start is by working on repairing the credit situation as soon as humanly possible. Get negative information removed, negotiate with creditors, dispute debts, and other techniques can be used to raise up the consumers' credit score by over 200 points. And getting a credit card with a small balance, using it, and almost paying it off every month is another great idea. That way, they can carry a small balance and generate some positive credit history every month.

Also, there may be a need to talk with a financial advisor and find out how to work out a budget and put together a savings plan. That way, they can build an emergency fund so that any other financial hardship will not have such a devastating affect. And showing a bank that there is extra money in a savings account will help the lender decide whether the applicants deserve a loan or not, and will show them the good spending habits of the consumers since the foreclosure.

The foreclosure victims also should not expect to get a 100% LTV loan for their next house. This is why it is so important to save up at least some down payment plus closing costs, and then be able to qualify for a better loan. It takes some work, but homeowners can get to a pretty full recovery within a year after foreclosure, and experience all the joys and responsibilities of owning their own home.

Once a home has bee sold at sheriff sale, the whole situation of the foreclosure changes instantly. Instead of a foreclosure process, the lender will now be itching to start the eviction process and take the home back from their former clients. But how long the homeowners have after the foreclosure auction to stay in the property is entirely determined by state law, and the existence of what is called a redemption period. Knowing how much time they have will vastly increase their chances of being able to stop foreclosure after the sale.

But once a home has been sold at sheriff sale, the specific foreclosure laws of the state begin to come into play again in determining how the end of the foreclosure process will play out. The specific procedures depend on which state the property is located in, regardless of where the homeowners are currently living. Some states will allow the lender to proceed with the eviction process immediately after the auction has been confirmed, and other states have a redemption period after the sale. A few states have a redemption period before the sale, but the term is most often used to describe a period of time after the sale in which the homeowners can remain in the property.

In states where there is no redemption period, the sale will usually be confirmed within 1 week to 30 days after the sale. After the sale has been confirmed, the lender can ask the courts for possession of the property, and an order for possession is given to the county sheriff. Then, within another 2 weeks to a month, in general, the sheriff will show up and evict any people/belongings still in the property. This can result in an embarassing and humiliting experience for the former homeowners, as they see all of their furniture and personal items put under a tarp in the front lawn. They can do nothing at this point, since the sheriff will be able to arrest them for interferring in the eviction.

If the foreclosure victims live in a state with a redemption period, however, they may be able to keep possession of the property for a period of months or up to a year, depending on state law. It is only at the end of the redemption period that the lender can pursue the eviction proceedings. This gives the homeowners the chance to save up the money to pay off the loan in full, qualify for a foreclosure refinance, or sell the property and be able to show they paid off the loan even though the loan went through the foreclosure process.

For the thousands of people who need to find a solution after the sheriff sale, knowing about the foreclosure laws of the state will give them the information they need to put together a realistic time-frame for saving the house. Just because the foreclosure auction has come and gone, this is really no reason for the homeowners to set aside all of their plans to stop foreclosure, if they are sincere in keeping their home. But having a redemption period and taking advantage of this opportunity will help many homeowners end up with a much better solution than simply letting the home go all the way through the foreclosure process.

Although the record foreclosure rates may seem like a surprise to homeowners, prudent mortgage and real estate professionals have seen the collapse coming for at least a couple of years now. The victims of this market massacre, the homeowners, were the last ones who figured the trap had sprung. The bankers and economists, though, even before the real estate professionals, knew that the housing bubble would eventually burst. It had to burst -- it was artificially created by funny money and loose lending, and that level of irresponsibility could not continue.

After the looting of Russia in the 1990's ended with the collapse of the Russian bond market and, subsequently, the rest of the international stock market in general, the bubble quickly shifted from developing countries to dot-com companies. Regardless of the fact that these companies had little income potential and no long-term business plan, money was shoveled out by the truckful to these start-ups. Predictably, a great many of them failed and the speculative dot-com bubble burst and took much of the wealth out of investors' pockets, creating a mild but lengthy recession that lasted for most of 2000 and 2001. And then, the events of 9/11 created even more uneasiness in the US markets.

In a short-sighted effort to jolt the economy back into a patter of stable growth, the Federal Reserve lowered interest rates and banks started lending out money to anyone who could sign on a line near an "X." Adjustable Rate Mortgages became the newest fad, along with such familiar terms as interest-only, stated income, and inflated appraisal. Homeowners, throwing all caution to the wind, overstated their income to qualify for a larger loan, Realtors and appraisers colluded to inflate the value of homes by orders of magnitude, and banks rubber-stamped nearly every loan that came through the door, without checking the validity of statements made by any of the parties to the loan. All to keep the bubble going and create the impression that homeowners were sitting on virtual gold mines of home equity. Refinance and get $50,000 cash out to add a hospital wing to your double-wide. Buy those extra cars you always dreamed of, and keep the overconsumption going.

With all of this over-hyped, artificial money flowing through the economy, the Fed had no choice but to begin raising interest rates again. (Of course, they could have chosen not to allow the artificial money-train to leave the station in the first place, but no one likes justified market corrections, do they? ) The unsuspecting homeowners, who had gotten that 4% mortgage two years ago, now faced the prospect of a payment twice as much as what they couldn't afford to begin with. And the predictable result: wave after wave of foreclosure, homeowners crying out for government assistance, governments placing the blame on everyone except the institution that created the bubble in the first place. Hearings about foreclosure are being held in Congress, as if homeowners in danger of losing their homes will be able to take consolation in the fact that someone, some time in the future, may be denied a loan that they can not afford anyway.

How about, instead of blaming Realtors, appraisers, and mortgage brokers for grabbing as much cash as they possibly could during the one time it was readily available to them, we blame the source of the easy money? Hearings about issues such as predatory lending and rising foreclosure rates after the fact will not prevent the foreclosure crisis from coming: it's already here. It is simply time to reign in the banks that make this money so loose, and discover where the next artificial bubble will pop up, and control it before it manages to destroy even more of the wealth of both investors and regular Americans. Until this is done, we can expect another bubble -- international bond markets, dot-com start-ups, housing values. What will be the next intrinsically worthless asset that we chase?

Foreclosure victims are recommended over and over again to try to work something out with their banks, either through a loan modification, special forbearance agreement, or other bank workout program. And while this is a valid option that homeowners can use to save their homes from foreclosure, there are a few large issue with these types of arrangements. Namely, they can be very difficult to qualify for, require a large up-front payment, and substantially increase the homeowners' monthly payment.

In order to qualify for a bank workout program, the foreclosure victims usually have to be behind by at least a few months. As can be expected, the banks are setting the homeowners up to fail, as three missed mortgage payments effectively disqualifies them for a traditional refinance, and begins the process of destroying their credit. Also, those missed payments will have to be made up somewhere along the line, whether it's four payments or fourteen. The total amount of the payments will be taken into consideration when spreading them out over the term of the repayment plan or modification. Because this amount will be amortized over a shorter or longer period, depending on the circumstances, the homeowners' payments will increase, making it difficult to qualify under the lender's debt-to-income ratio requirements.

Furthermore, most mortgage modification or forbearance plans require the homeowners to put down a substantial amount of cash to begin the plan. Usually, this amount comes out to 40-60% of the total amount of arrears. For example, if a homeowner is behind by a total of $10,000, then they will have to come up with $4,000-$6,000, on average, to begin the workout program. In most instances, if the foreclosure victims had an extra $4,000 lying around, they would not have ended up in foreclosure to begin with. The banks know that many homeowners will not be able to come up with this amount of money, but offer no other viable solution to the homeowners to help them stop foreclosure.

The payments for a loss mitigation program will also be increased over and above the homeowners' regular monthly mortgage payments. This is because, after putting down the amount to begin the plan, there is usually quite a bit of arrears that need to be paid back. This amount is spread over 3-12 months, generally, with interest accruing on the unpaid balance. Foreclosure victims on such a plan would have to make their normal monthly payment, plus a portion of the arrears remaining to be paid back, or else the bank will begin the foreclosure process again. It is not uncommon for banks to offer homeowners a repayment plan with payments that are nearly twice as much as their regular payment. Again, if the foreclosure victims could afford two mortgage payments, they probably would not have fallen behind in the first place.

It seems that most bank workout programs, forbearance agreements, or loan modifications are designed to give the banks one last chance to play the "Good Guy," before sending the homeowners into foreclosure. By offering an unreasonably expensive repayment plan, lenders are just playing a game of "Look How Hard I've Tried" with their clients, in an effort to pin the blame squarely and solely on the foreclosure victims. This is why most homeowners need more options to stop foreclosure, in case working with the lender does not present any reasonable solution. Short sales, , foreclosure loans, deed in lieu of foreclosure, and several other options should be considered. Unfortunately, as homeowners are turned away by their banks, they too often simply give up on their mortgages and walk away from their homes, with the lender assuming no blame, because their expensive, unreasonable, illogical workout plans were the "best attempts to help our clients" that they could come up with with the least amount of work, knowing their clients would most likely fail.

As the meltdown in the subprime mortgage industry continues, with more lenders shutting their doors every week -- 55 at last count today -- there are numerous implausible solutions being thrown around by Congress, regulatory groups, and other civil rights organizations and consumer advocates. Although a break from foreclosure may help some homeowners, the impact to the rest of the economy would result in even more foreclosures after the proposed moratorium has expired.

RISMEDIA reports that "several of the nation's leading civil rights organizations, organizations asking for a ban on foreclosures for the next six months," in order to give homeowners a better chance to save their homes and overcome their current financial hardships. As unrealistic as this proposal is, however, it may come into reality if the present foreclosure crisis extends into next year's election season. However, any break in the flow of money from borrowers to lenders will put a heavy strain on the economy. Banks make their money through the collection of interest on a loan, and this is the pool of money that they use to pay their employees, expand their lending, and keep the lights on. A six-month "time-out" period would cause banks whose primary business is mortgages to experience drastic decreases in revenue, and may cause even more to go out of business. Layoffs and general economic depression would ensue without a major bailout, and even more formerly employed homeowners would end up facing foreclosure.

A temporary ban on foreclosures is obviously not the best route to take for the banks or the homeowners. This would only prolong the inevitable, and give foreclosure victims a false sense of security. Although a hardship may only be temporary, the missed mortgage payments will have to be made up sometime. It is illogical for the rest of the economy to suffer while homeowners who are falling behind on their mortgages are given extra time to save money with no regular monthly payment during the ban. Instead, the mortgages themselves should be regulated and homeowners given a lower interest rate, or more time to catch up on their missed payments, if they are able to make the regular monthly payment. This way, the homeowners, if they are financially stable again, will be able to stop foreclosure. The homeowners whose positions have drastically changed and can simply no longer afford their homes can sell or consider a deed in lieu of foreclosure at any time.

Banks, unfortunately, are almost categorically difficult to negotiate with and seem to have little compassion for their clients who are in hardships. We receive complaints about lenders every day from foreclosure victims who are just unable to get straight answers from their banks, or are treated rudely with very little respect. This does nothing to a homeowner's confidence in being able to find a solution to foreclosure, and causes many of them to give up and fall victim to any foreclosure scam that will offer them a quick and easy option to save their homes.

Homeowners need reasonable options to stop foreclosure -- not handouts and not tighter banking regulations. Handouts will not solve the problem and let the economy work out the problems occurring in it right now. And tighter lending regulations will only cause homeowners to find that they are unqualified for foreclosure loans that they would have qualified for just a few months earlier. Unfortunately, there are no easy solutions to solve the problems associated with mass foreclosures, but quick, reactionary solutions designed to act as Band-Aids will only force more homeowners into foreclosure. Squeezing the flow of money will only result in more foreclosure victims being squeezed out of their homes.

There may be some confusion among homeowners as to what "loss mitigation" really is, who does it, and what it is used for. In short, loss mitigation is when a bank will work with a homeowner facing a financial hardship to put together some sort of agreement. This may include a mortgage forbearance, loan modification, or other payment plan. Loss mitigation, however, also includes a much broader range of services offered by lenders and third parties, as well as being an option that homeowners can use to stop foreclosure on their own.

Most lenders have a foreclosure or loss mitigation department, which is where a loan in default usually ends up after the homeowners have missed several payments. The file is typically assigned to one specific representative who represents the lender and is in charge of either collecting the missed payments, or putting together a plan with the foreclosure victims to bring their loan current. Mortgage companies have various programs with various qualifications, but loss mitigation is one of the first options that homeowners should attempt in trying to save their homes. It is widely receommended for homeowners to work with the lender on their own before involving any third party company to negotiate on behalf of the homeowners.

Loss mitigation is also used to describe a whole segment of the foreclosure industry. These third party loss mitigation companies offer homeowners the opportunity to relieve some of the burden in talking to the lender. Lenders, in many disturbing instances, have been known to be rude or insensitive to their clients when the mortgage is in default. In these cases, homeowners may hire a loss mitigation company to assist them in putting together a repayment plan or loan modification. The charges for loss mitigation services vary widely, with some charging several thousand dollars up front, and others charging only if they are able to work out an arrangement.

With the recent rise in foreclosure rates, professional loss mitigation companies have come under fire by some critics, due to the unethical practices of some of these companies. Most complaints involve a loss mitigation company charging several hundred or thousand dollars up front to work with the lender, and then not actually doing anything for the homeowners, who end up losing their homes in the end. This is one reason that foreclosure victims should evaluate the company they are doing business with, and make an informed decision whether to work with a third party mitigator or not. Loss mitigation companies can provide a valuable service to homeowners, but, as in every segment of the industry, there are a large number of foreclosure scams, as well.

Loss mitigation can apply either to the department in the bank attempting to work with their clients, a segment of the foreclosure industry that specializes in helping homeowners negotiate with their banks, and specific companies who specialize in these services. Not every lender or loss mitigation company is the same, and each should be judged by its merits and their assistance should be used to stop foreclosure only if this is one of the options that homeowners have decided that they can not work with their lenders on their own.

Information is one of the most important resources homeowners need to save their homes from foreclosure. One of the more informative foreclosure help websites online today is presented by American Foreclosure Specialists. Their website provides useful information relating to foreclosure and the industry in general, as well as offering professional loss mitigation services.

There won't be much of an update today, as we are working on the website, and putting together some new, unique programs to help homeowners stop foreclosure. To get all of the free foreclosure information you need, please browse around our site. We will return very soon with more substantial posts, as well as new updates to the ForeclosureFish.com website. Thank you for your patience.

It's snowing in April, gas is edging closer to $3.00 a gallon this far before summer, and foreclosures are at levels not seen since the Great Depression. Really, what is the world coming to, and what is the outlook for the rest of 2007? Unfortunately, it's probably not looking good for homeowners. But, on the positive side, it probably doesn't matter all that much. There are much more important things to think about right now.

Even if the world is marching towards an inevitable collapse, or everything will be just fine in a few months, homeowners who are in foreclosure right now need to be focused on only one issue: finding a way to stop foreclosure as quickly as possible. Once this is done, then they can begin putting together a better long-term plan that matches their views of the future, whether they expect the best or the worst.

Before anyone gets any misconceptions, however, it is important to note that any "plan to stop foreclosure" should encompass much more than just the immediate solution to the problem. It should more correctly be called a plan to stop foreclosure, avoid foreclosure, and prevent foreclosure ever again. This is because homeowners should always have an eye towards the future, even if they are in danger of losing their homes. The decisions they make today about their financial lives will lead them to their next crisis or opportunity, depending on what choices they make.

Far too often, homeowners that have been successful in saving their homes end up falling behind in their mortgages again. This is due to one simple cause: lack of planning. Of course, the negligence with which many consumers treat their long-term plans may be caused by any number of other issues (lack of time, income restraints, alien conspiracies, propagandistic advertising targeted to get people to spend more and more, etc.), the lack of a plan is the main issue that causes homeowners to face foreclsoure. The continued lack of a plan is the main issue that causes homeowners to face foreclosure over and over again.

Regardless of which celebrities are currently inbreeding, which sports teams have won which games, and which stocks you don't own are performing better than other stocks you don't own, there is always a more immediate problem. In the case of falling behind on mortgage payments, the immediate solution is to find the best options to stop foreclosure. It's time to stop playing games, stop blaming the world, and stop taking vicarious satisfaction from failing; it's time to start learning how you can stop foreclosure, put together an emergency plan to avoid foreclosure in the future, and establish a long-term outlook to prevent foreclosure from ever affecting you or or family's lives ever again.

Snow in April is much more enjoyable when it's warm inside. Record foreclosure rates are irrelevent if you have an emergency plan set up. Gas over $3.00, though, will always be an irritation. Just wait til $7.00 a gallon.

Although we all have our own psychological blocks and play games with each other and ourselves, people in foreclosure have a very real danger of becoming a victim to their own deficiencies, if someone does not pull them out of the game. The emotional payoff of some of these games may give the foreclosure victims a momentary sense of triumph, but the end result of losing the home only leaves the former owners with feelings of loss and regret. Two of the most common games that homeowners in foreclosure play are "Why Does This Always Happen To Me," and "Why Don't You -- Yes But."

In the game "Why Does This Always Happen To Me," the victims put themselves into a position where failure is probable, and then they take pride in the fact that their lives are more difficult than others, filled with more misfortune than they deserve. They may be unaware of this game that they play with themselves and others. But in practice, it may play out with the homeowners lying on their loan applicaion in order to get a larger house, even though they know they will not be able to afford the home for longer than a few months. They get a low Adjustable Rate Mortgage, and commit 80% of their monthly income to this introductory rate, knowing in advance that, once the payment resets, the house will go into foreclosure.

When the crisis finally happens, the homeowners feel victimized and cry out "Why Does This Always Happen To Me?" These foreclosure victims are usually the ones reading off a shopping list of misfortunes that they have experienced that finally led up to them facing foreclosure. The payoff for this game, of course, is the sympathy they will try to elicit from everyone, whether or not they are involved in the foreclosure: the lender, foreclosure help companies, friends, family, neighbors, etc.

The second game, "Why Don't You -- Yes But," is often heard by foreclosure help companies who propose one solution after another to help the homeowners stop foreclosure. The foreclosure victims come to the specialist with a problem (foreclosure), and the foreclosure help company offers a solution. Then, immediately, the homeowners will say something to the effect of "Yes, but I already tried that and it didn't work." The foreclosure help company will then provide another way for the homeowenrs to get the mortgage help they need, and be met with the same exact response in slightly different wording: "Yes, but I (don't have time to go to the courthouse) (I don't have any money)."

Eventually, the foreclosure help company will have no other real option than to tell the homeowners that they probably can not help them, which is exactly what the homeowners assumed they would be told. The foreclosure victims assumed that they would get no help, then discounted every solution offered, until the foreclosure expert said that they could not help them, validating the homeowners belief that there were no other options to stop foreclosure open to them.

The payoff in these situations is that the homeowners have validated their own beliefs that their problems are worse than anyone else's, or that there are no other ways to stop foreclosure on their homes. The foreclosure help company may be unable to understand even how to respond to homeowners who play these social games, because the companies do not even know they are participants in the homeowners' games to defeat themselves. But it's the job of the foreclosure specialists to find some way to get the homeowners to quit looking for validation for their assumptions, or move on to another client if the game-playing ones will not "grow up" a little bit and face the immediate problem of foreclosure.

These are just two of the games that everyone plays, but when they are played by homeowners in foreclosure, and they can not be persuaded to give up the game, the result is often renting an apartment or living with friends/family. Then, other games will begin, such as "Ain't It Awful," most often played with friends and associates, and "Now I've Got You, You Son Of A Bitch," most often played against the foreclosure help company who attempted to help the homeowners stop foreclosure, but were unsuccessful. It is at this point that the homeowners will violently request refunds, file complaints, and attempt to validate further their position in "Ain't It Awful."

Recently, ForeclosureFish.com has teamed up with some of the best companies in the world that specialize in helping families get their financial lives on the right track to avoid ever having to face foreclosure again. We deal with the immediate problem of the foreclosure, and then proceed to helping you save more money, make more money, and start living the dream life you've always wanted.

Far too often, homeowners in foreclosure have completely lost track of the real goals of their lives. When you are looking for any option to stop foreclosure and save your home, you may not have much time to keep alive the dreams of higher income and financial independence, protecting your family from any hardships that occur, and making sure your children and church community is well taken care of. This if where ForeclosureFish.com comes in to help the most.

All foreclosure victims on our site will receive no fewer than 5 separate offers from various foreclosure specialists and financial education firms. These include private investment options for homeowners who need a quick sale, sale leaseback, or other other arrangement; as well as loss mitigation options from professionals who spend their entire days on the phone fighting banks on your behalf to stop foreclosure. Even while our preferred experts are helping you get back on track any way possible, we will help put you in touch with someone who will provide you with all of the financial education that no one else ever gave you. At your request, local representatives will sit down with you and help you put together the financial plan you need to start living your life the way you want -- not the way that you've been forced to for so many years.

Beyond all of this, the ForeclosureFish.com team will provide you with unlimited foreclosure advice and assistance with any option that you have to stop foreclosure. Find out if you are being taken advantage of, how to get your money back from foreclosure scams, and if there are better rates/payment options for your new foreclosure loan. This way, you will know exactly what kind of deal you are getting, and you will have the ability to examine a wide variety of offers from companies to help you with your mortgage.

Most importantly, however, is for you to get back on track with your financial plan and keep on track with it. Too many homeowners make it a habit of going from one hardship to another, and no plan equals a plan to fail. Just by sitting down and putting together a plan to stop foreclosure and start repairing your life, you will have a much better chance of being able to avoid having to face foreclosure in the future. Emergencies will still happen, since life is full of uncertainties, but you will be able to rest assured in the fact that emergencies will never again turn into financially devastating hardships that cause you to get behind on bills and face the loss of your home.

It is at this point that you can start living the dream of being completely independent of the wage-slavery that so many of your friends, family, and coworkers are trapped by. You may even find that the real purpose of your life is to help spread the awareness that you gained about your finances, and help other families in the same situation that you were able to successfully recover from. Then you can really start living the dream of helping other people and making your current situation a learning experience, rather than the most horrible experience in your life.

With dozens of combined years of experience in real estate, mortgages, banking, financial education, investing, and foreclosure help, we have gained a detailed understanding of how homeowners can save their homes from foreclosure. New ways to stop a sheriff sale are created daily, as well as more and more creative financing and investing scenarios to help a homeowner stay in their home. As we add to our knowledge every day, we have found that the main difference between ForeclosureFish.com and other websites is in our committment to our clients over the long-term.

Where most foreclosure service providers will help a homeowner stop foreclosure, ForeclosureFish.com has decided to take the next step in continuing the relationship. Through a system of do-it-yourself credit repair after foreclosure, and a complimentary sit-down financial analysis with a local rep from a trusted company, we are dedicated to helping our clients now and in the future. Mortgage help is just the first priority -- often, homeowners are in need of help to pick up the pieces of their financial lives even after the foreclosure process has ended.

It is all to common for one of our clients that we have helped to call us 6-10 months after we helped them find a solution to foreclosure. They have run into another short-term financial hardship (loss of job, medical problems), and are having difficulty in paying their mortgage again. Some have even called after the foreclosure process has begun again, putting their credit history into a much worse situation than it was before. This is not what we want for any of our clients, whether we help them stop foreclosure or if they can not save their homes and we help them sell and purchase a new home.

Ideally, if any of our clients call back for additional services, we want them to be for a new refinance at a lower rate after they have put together a savings plan and raised their credit scores significantly. Then, the process will be completed full circle, and the homeowners can start building more wealth by creating more equity in their property, as well as saving money in other areas and living more financially independent than ever before. Unless a client gets to this point, we believe there is unfinished business with them. We never want to imagine a homeowner that we work with being faced with another foreclosure.

This is the mission that we have for the foreclosure victims that contact us: to take them from their current financial hardships, find a short-term way to stop foreclosure, and then start establishing the framework needed to prevent any future hardship from becoming devastating. While homeowners in foreclosure may be at the lowest point of their financial lives, they are also in a major period of transition, and this provides an ideal opportunity for the family to evaluate its long-term goals.

Prevent foreclosure from taking you down too far.
Stop foreclosure if you are already in the process.
Avoid foreclosure forever after becoming a ForeclosureFish.com client.

It really can be that simple sometimes, if the clients are willing to achieve their goals.

The following list is the top 30 reasons on why homeowners should stop foreclosure on their own. Before using a third-party company, it is almost always better to attempt working with the lender or finding a new source of financing for the property and avoid paying any extra fees or costs. Foreclosure is expensive enough without paying companies unrelated to the home!

1. No possibility of being taken advantage of by a foreclosure scam.
2. Know exactly which lenders you submit your foreclosure loan request to. 3. Cut out unnecessary fees.
4. Learn how to negotiate with your lender directly.
5. Know exactly what correspondence is being to your lender or their attorneys.
6. The ability to work on several options at once to stop foreclosure.
7. Maintain control of the foreclosure process.
8. Ability to show the court system that you are trying to resolve the problem.
9. Learn how foreclosure affects your credit and financial situations in greater detail.
10. Find out how you can help others who are in danger of foreclosure.
11. By learning about the foreclosure process, you can learn how to invest in foreclosure properties and generate more income.
12. Trust in yourself, rather than having blind faith in other companies.
13. Negotiate with your lender for any option you want, including forbearance agreements or loan modification plans.
14. Learn how to postpone your sheriff sale for over a year.
15. Put together a more comprehensive financial plan for after foreclosure.
16. Check on your lender to make sure they are following the applicable foreclosure laws for your state, and make them pay if they haven't.
17. Sell the property on your own and save money on foreclosure costs and Realtor fees.
18. Learn exactly when to file for a bankruptcy, if there is absolutely not other option to save your home from foreclosure.
19. Find hard money lenders who can refinance your property for a short term to get back on track.
20. Apply to numerous lenders at once for a loan to stop foreclosure, and get multiple offers for financing.
21. Negotiate a short sale and sale-leaseback arrangement with a private real estate investor who specializes in foreclosure.
22. Preserve your community status by finding a solution to stop foreclosure.
23. Avoid becoming a burden to your friends, family, children, or parents by preventing the entire eviction process from ever coming to pass.
24. Learn how to get your money back from previous foreclosure scam operators.
25. Start repairing your credit by negotiating with your lender, even while you're still facing foreclosure.
26. Use a long-term plan to stop foreclosure immediately, follow a short-term plan to get back on track, then qualify for a low rate.
27. Set up the most affordable repayment plan with your lender -- never leave your payments up to a thirt party negotiator.
28. Get the most for the property, no matter what stage of the process it's in.
29. Work out the best deal with a private investor to stay in the property or to sell quickly.
30. Learn how to put the entire foreclosure process on hold until you get back on track with your financial situation.

There are an infinite number of reasons that homeowners should consider attempting to stop foreclosure on their own. Of course, if the situation is right, there are also numerous reasons to request the help of a reputable third-party loss mitigation company, mortgage broker, or private investment firm.

Due to the popularity of twelve-step programs, self-help seminars, and pseudo-scientific, metaphysical "secrets," we have decided to jump on the bandwagon and complete our own Twelve Steps to Stop Foreclosure. Many homeowners need to find out which step they are currently on, and then complete the entire process. While it is possible to work on numerous steps at once, most foreclosure victims would be better served by working on one or two, at most, and then going to the next step to stop foreclosure.

Step 1. We admit that our lives have been completely taken over by our financial troubles in general and foreclosure in particular. The first step to a successful recovery from foreclosure is to admit the problem exists and that it is not going to go away by ignoring phone calls from the lender or trusting in hope. While you may not have a plan right now, admitting you need a plan is a courageous step on the road to save your home from foreclosure.

Step 2. We believe that knowledge will give us the power to fix our situation. No one is able to stop foreclosure until they believe that they can gain the knowledge necessary to save their homes. You will have to have faith that there is a solution to foreclosure and that you can find that solution and pursue it until you have saved your home. Remember the concept of a self-sulfilling prophecy -- just by believing in your success, you are much more likely to achieve it.

Step 3. We make the decision to trust those around us and those who we are seeking foreclosure advice from. Although you need to verify income on your own, as well, you should not go into foreclosure second-guessing everyone around you and everyone that you request help from. You simply do not have the time to waste in foreclosure to be able to hold off making a decision until it is too late.

Step 4. Complete a thorough evaluation of our current financial situation. You absolutely need to find out where you can save money, or what other resources are available to you to help you stop foreclosure. Homeowners spend too much money in certain areas every single day, and you may be able to significantly lower your bills or take on a second job. But you won't know this until you look at the complete financial picture of your lives.

Step 5. We admit that we have made mistakes that have led us into this foreclosure situation. Simply put, everyone makes mistakes and many people face foreclosure. While there is no shame in simply missing payments on your mortgage, it is a grave error to continue making the same mistakes over and over again. Once you have recovered from the foreclosure, you need to make certain that you are not in a financially devestating hardship ever again.

Step 6. We trust that we can actively work out a solution to our problem for the long-term. You must trust that you have the ability and strength to fix the current situation and, more importantly, that you can establish a long-term financial plan to prevent foreclosure from ever becoming an issue later in life. Too many homeowners are able to stop foreclosure, only to find that they go into default again within a year. You do not want to be one of these people.

Step 7. We know that we need help to get our financial lives back on track. Whether it's consulting with a trusted attorney, reputable mortgage help provider, or financial adviser, you will need a guide along the way to saving your home. You don't want to live your whole life being led by the hand, but a trusted adviser can provide much needed foreclosure advice and assistance. Ask for the help you need, and you will find that many companies and people are willing to provide it to you.

Step 8. We contact our lender to make them aware that we are working on a solution. Homeowners by the thousands lose their homes to foreclosure every day because they denied the problem and refused to inform their lender that they were going to be late on their mortgage payments. Once they found a solution, the lender was unwilling to grant them additional time, and these homeowners found themselves with nowhere to go. You aren't like that, because you are looking for help -- but you need to communicate that to your lender, so they know not to continue with the foreclosure process.

Step 9. We start making positive changes in our financial lives to avoid the possibility of facing foreclosure ever again. Whether this is saving more, spending less, or selling expensive assets, you can get a head start on foreclosure recovery simply by fxing some of the mistakes you have been making for years. This simple step will put you on the correct financial path and allow you to repair your credit and financial situation as quickly as possible.

Step 10. When evaluating our previous financial plan, we clearly point out the gaps in it. These gaps are what caused you to go into default on your mortgage, most likely. Filling the holes now will help you stop foreclosure now, as well as give your finances the cushion they need so that you never get into another hardship again. You can learn to weather any financial storm by having the right compass to steer by.

Step 11. We put our trust in a solution to stop foreclosure, and we carry out that plan to the end. Whether you are ultimately successful saving your home or not, you must put into each plan as much effort as possible. Not having a plan got you into the situation you are now in, so working hard on your new solutions to stop foreclosure will give you the confidence to know that you gave 110% to fixing the problem. Even if you lose the home, it won't be for lack of trying.

Step 12. Having learned how to repair our financial lives, we give others the knowledge that helped us. Millions of homeowners just like yourself have faced foreclosure and come out of it, and millions more are right now beginning to miss their first payments. You should share your experiences and knowledge, so that you can contribute to others' financial well-being, as well as your own.

Hopefully, these twelve steps will give you the motivation that you need to take the next step, and either become a ForeclosureFish.com client by filling out the foreclosure evaluation form, or finding a viable solution to stop foreclosure. Remember, foreclosure is not the end of the world, and there is a better life after foreclosure.