Seven Sure-fire Ways You Can Avoid Foreclosure

Although it's a situation none of us ever wants to be in, home foreclosures are on the rise. If you ever reach the point where your lender is ready to foreclose on your home, the following tips may help you delay or even avoid foreclosure proceedings.

Tip 1: Deal with the problem head on.

If you can't make your monthly payment, face up to it and take steps to deal with it. Avoiding the problem will only make things worse.

Tip 2: Your lender is your friend.

The best way to avoid foreclosure is to maintain a dialogue with your lender. Although it may not seem that way at times, it is in their best interests to help you avoid foreclosure.

Tip 3: Do your homework.

It is important to know what rights you have should you go into default. Go over your loan documents so that you know what will happen and the time frame in which it will happen.

Tip 4: Consider talking to a housing counselor.

Housing counselors are available through grants from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development. These counselors can take a look at your situation and help you get your finances organized. Some counselors will even represent you in negotiations with your lender.

Tip 5: Spend your money wisely.

When trying to avoid foreclosure it is important to spend money only on necessities. Take a look at your finances and eliminate unnecessary expenses so that you can make your mortgage payment and feed your family. Eliminate luxuries if need be, including cable TV, health club memberships, and eating out at restaurants. You should also consider delaying payment on unsecured credit cards if that money is needed for paying your mortgage.

Tip 6: Consider cashing out.

Take a look at your assets and consider selling them for cash so that you can pay your mortgage and any back payments you might owe. This includes higher-ticket items like jewelry, furs, cars, and boats. Lenders will be happy to work with people who are demonstrating that they will do whatever it takes to make their house payment.

Tip 7: Don't pay a fortune for someone to help you stop foreclosure.

While the vast majority of these companies are legitimate, they are simply offering negotiation services through a HUD approved counseling service (see Tip 4). In many cases, the HUD counselors will help you for free.

The important thing is to stay calm and know that there is help available for you.



Stephan Iscoe
Publisher,
MoneyMakersNews.com

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Learn the Insider Secrets of Buying Bank Foreclosure Properties

My Rules When Dealing With Private Lenders That Fund My Real Estate Deals

by Alan Cowgill

This is my business. After many years in a corporate job working for others, I left because I wanted to run my own business my way and that's exactly what I am doing. I am using my business skills to create the kind of company I want. Along with creating my own rules, procedures, and systems within my real estate business, I have rules that I follow regarding my private lenders. A couple of my rules are:

a) Make interest payment when property sells
b) One private lender per mortgage
c) I keep my word

Let me further explain what I mean on each of these...


a) Make interest payment when property sells...
I didn't start out that way. I thought everyone would expect monthly or quarterly payments, so I started paying some early lenders monthly. But after a conversation with a RE guru, I quickly changed and now pay when the property sells. What a huge benefit to cash flow and what a BIG help with the office paperwork. Not only is this a matter of less paperwork for the staff, there is another practical reason for doing this. When a lender's money is applied to a property at closing, the clock starts ticking. The interest rate starts. However, it may take a couple months to renovate the house and find a buyer or rent-to-own tenant. So the cash flow from the property will not even start for a couple months.

In addition, when you sell the house the lender gets a bigger chunk of money to lend back to you for your next project. Everybody wins.

b) One private lender per mortgage...
The #1 question I get from all over the country is "can I pool lenders money". The answer is maybe.

You cannot "pool" lender's money unless you fill out some paperwork with your state.

So, if you need more funds to purchase and rehab a property, then the 1st lender (the one with the most money) gets a 1st mortgage on the property and if you need more money to rehab the property, bring in a 2nd lender and they get a 2nd mortgage.

They are your "Bank" and they get a mortgage (lien) on your property.

You take possession of the property in a land trust and you get the deed. The lender gets a mortgage. These are the two key documents on any real estate transaction.

Actually, you can have as many mortgages (1, 2, 3, 4, etc.) as you like on a property as long as you don't over leverage the property.

c) I keep my word...
I follow my agreement with each lender exactly. I run my business with integrity. Like I said earlier, my rule now is that I make interest payments when the property sells. But there are a few early lenders with whom I made the agreement to pay monthly. I will stick to my agreement with them regardless of how long they invest with me. And, since they love those checks, they'll probably be around a long time -- and that's great as far as I'm concerned.


Alan Cowgill is a national speaker, author, and real estate entrepreneur. Alan had bought or sold over 200 investment properties. His step-by-step system "Private Lending Made Easy" teaches Real Estate investors and mortgage brokers how to find private lenders. Contact Alan at 937-390-0816 or 866-831-3540. For a FREE audio CD go to http://www.PrivateLendingMadeEasy.com
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Learn the Insider Secrets of Buying Bank Foreclosure Properties