7 Ways To Avoid Foreclosure

SPECIAL REPORT: SEVEN WAYS TO AVOID FORECLOSURE.

Dear Friend,

Through no fault of your own, you may be facing one of the greatest challenges of your life—how to prevent your property from being foreclosed upon. Why let the bank take your most valued asset and leave you with nothing Fortunately, alternatives exist. In fact, there are seven ways you can avoid foreclosure. They are:

  1. Refinance;
  2. Bring your mortgage current;
  3. Create a “workout” with the bank;
  4. Declare bankruptcy;
  5. Create “shared equity”;
  6. Transfer title; and
  7. Sell the property quickly.

Let’s discuss each option—what it is, and the pros and cons of using each one:

1. REFINANCE:

In today’s marketplace, there are many different types of financial institutions that lend money. Although you may not be able to refinance with your local bank due to your current situation, there are many mortgage companies and lenders who specialize in creative financing solutions. That’s how they can compete with the big banks. They are often able to review your situation and find a solution to your needs.

2. BRING YOUR MORTGAGE CURRENT:

I know what you are thinking: “If I could bring my mortgage current, I wouldn’t be in this situation!” That may be true, but have you investigated every possible way that you may be able to get the funds?

Can you borrow it from a friend, family member or co-worker? Can you sell something? Does your employer have any hardship loan programs? Brainstorm with family members or close friends. The more you think about it, the more likely it is that someone will come across a solution.

3. CREATE A WORKOUT WITH THE LENDER:

The lender does not want to foreclose. That’s because lenders are in the business of having their money at work in loans, and not sitting on a property they have taken back through foreclosure. Not only is that a black mark on the lending institution, but it hurts their financial picture as well. Therefore, in many instances lenders are willing to do “workouts.” What this means is that they are willing to work out the back payments that are owed, until you become current again.

A typical workout involves the lender taking the full amount of your back payments and dividing that number by 12 or 24. They would then add that amount to your current payments, until you are paid off. When considering a workout, you’ve got to be able to make that extra payment each month or you will be right back where you started—in the foreclosure process for the second time. At that point, the bank will not look very favorably upon your situation. It’s best to work with a workout specialist…someone who has done workouts before and knows the “ins and outs” of the lending business.

4. DECLARE BANKRUPTCY:

Declaring bankruptcy is viable option to being foreclosed upon, but it should be used only as a last resort. Also, use it only if you know that you will be able to keep up with the future loan payments. Otherwise, you’re just postponing the inevitable, and the longer you wait, the less money you will walk away with from your property.

A bankruptcy will be reported on your credit report for seven years. The bankruptcy will also be reported in the financial section of the newspaper—it’s a requirement from the bankruptcy court.

Declaring bankruptcy is also costly. When declaring bankruptcy you will have the option to declare either Chapter 7, 11 or 13 bankruptcy. These refer to different parts of the bankruptcy law, and relate to whether you are somewhat in debt and need to renegotiate with lenders, or whether you truly are going to walk away from your debts. However, be warned that because you can only declare bankruptcy up to every eight years, certain future debts might not be eligible for even bankruptcy protection.

The point is that bankruptcy should be your route of last resort. If you truly have no other alternative, then search out two or three reputable bankruptcy attorneys to consult with to see if this is really for you.

5. CREATE SHARED EQUITY:

To create shared equity, you borrow the money from an investor in order to make up your back payments. In return for bringing your loan current, you give the investor a certain portion of the equity in your property. You are giving up part ownership, in return for keeping part ownership: That beats giving the whole thing over to your lender.

Of the seven methods to avoid foreclosure, this is the most difficult to accomplish, because there are not many investors who are willing to risk money, usually the back payments, on an individual who has a history of not paying and becoming at risk for foreclosure.

6. TRANSFER TITLE:

This is a form of property sale. It’s called a “Subject To” transaction. An investor offers to make up your back payments and take over your property, subject to the existing mortgage.

The title of the property goes into the buyer’s name, though the mortgage stays in your name until the loan is paid off. There is no defined timeline when the investor would pay off your existing loan.

You may ask, “How do I know the investor will make the payments?” The answer is quite simple: He has just made up all of your back payments; he now has a financial stake in the property. It only makes sense that he makes your payments to protect his investment.

This type of sale is quite common. The benefits to you:

  • You don’t have a foreclosure on your record.
  • You may get some cash immediately to start fresh.
  • You immediately solve your looming foreclosure.
  • Your credit gets built back up through no effort of your own, because the investor makes up your back payments and begins making your monthly mortgage payments on time every month.

Before long, your credit score is once again in good standing. You should look for an investor who’s experienced in this type of solution.

We understand “Subject To” transactions and specialize in them. Call us TODAY to discuss the possibility of doing one with you.

7. SELL YOUR PROPERTY QUICKLY:

Sometimes people just want to walk away from a bad situation, and leave everything that reminds them of that situation behind. In this case, you sell your property outright, collect any equity that you have in the property and start over again.

One great thing about time is its ability to heal wounds. Yes, things may be bad now, but as Johnny Cash always said, “This too shall pass.” It may be time to face what is happening, and act in your best interest right now for a better tomorrow.

You can sell your property through a real estate agent or directly to an investor. Selling directly to an investor will save you the commission that you would pay to a real estate agent and more importantly will save you time.

A real estate agent can sometimes take three to six months to find you a buyer and close. If for some reason that buyer cannot get financing or close on the property, you might be left in a real bind with a looming foreclosure on your hands.

The three to six months that a real estate agent may take to find a buyer could be longer than you can afford. That’s because once your lender has set a date for the foreclosure, it will foreclose on that date, regardless of whether your buyer needs more time.

In many situations, investors like us can arrange to buy your house in just a very short time versus using a realtor. As active buyers, we can offer solutions to your foreclosure problem.

If you’d like to discuss the sale of your property, learn more about “Subject To” and how it benefits you, please feel free to contact our office at 986-497-9400.

Why wait? Call us now or email us at Info@LibertyREHoldingsGroup.com. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

P.S. We’ve probably dealt with situations tougher than even the one facing you right now. Our business is real estate solutions. You have nothing to lose—and possibly everything to gain–by calling us right now to discuss your options.

P.P.S. If you or someone you know is facing a foreclosure situation and you wish to understand the 5 phases of foreclosure then “click here.”