Are You One in a Million?: A Million Homes Facing Foreclosure in 2010

More bad news for those facing tough financial times: mortgage foreclosures are likely to top the one million mark in 2010. As The Associated Press reported in the last week, “Nearly 528,000 homes were taken over by lenders in the first six months of the year, a rate that is on track to eclipse the more than 900,000 homes repossessed in 2009, according to data released Thursday by RealtyTrac Inc., a foreclosure listing service.”By comparison, according to RealtyTrac, in an average year the United States only sees about 100,000 homes in foreclosure. So, with the country on track to face ten times that amount of foreclosures this year, with 1.7 million U.S. homeowners already getting some kind of foreclosure-related notice between January and June of this year, that means one in every 78 homes is facing foreclosure already. Given these staggering figures, you might be wondering: Are you one in a million? Understanding the ins and, most importantly, the outs, of foreclosure can prevent you from being hurt by the lingering home crisis. Here are steps in the foreclosure process, including what causes a bank to repossess your home and what you can do to prevent it: 

Step 1: Delinquent Payments: If you are delinquent on a mortgage payment by 30 days or more, your mortgage lenders may send a notice that your house is in foreclosure—the first sign of the foreclosure process.  If missing a payment is unavoidable and you receive notice of a pending foreclosure, your first best step is to notify your bank about your financial situation, followed by a quick call to a qualified bankruptcy attorney who can help stop the foreclosure, not to mention help you to keep your home, through a Chapter 13 filing.

Step 2: More notices and notifications: While procedures vary from state to state, if missing mortgage payments becomes the norm, your lender will likely follow up their initial notice with more contact via phone and mail that foreclosure proceedings are officially under way. In this case, again, it’s best to contact a bankruptcy attorney as soon as possible. Your bankruptcy filing can stop lender harassment and contact, and get you back on the road to financial recovery.

Step 3: Eviction: One of the toughest parts of the foreclosure process is an eviction. Even though it can take more than a year for a bank to repossess your property, an eviction means you’re out in the cold, stripped of a home of your own. Chapter 13 bankruptcy can prevent eviction, allowing you to stay in your abode not only during your bankruptcy, but throughout the three to five year repayment process, and depending on your jurisdiction's laws, possibly bring your mortgage payment down.

Step 4: Foreclosure auction or sale: Barring a bankruptcy or a modification from your lender, your home will likely be repossessed. The bank then owns your house and is entitled to sell it at a foreclosure auction or using a short sale. As such, any proceeds from these sales remain with the bank, leaving you with no roof over your head and no equity for your troubles. Don’t wait for your own housing bubble to burst. Join the millions of American homeowners who have found immediate help to keep their hard-hit homes. If you have been effected by the mortgage crisis, knowing a qualified bankruptcy attorney can help you to conquer your creditors and face your financial fears, yielding the right kinds of support, information and insights—at a low cost— for a viable and secure future beyond our own “Great Recession.”  The bankruptcy experts at the Law Offices of John T. Orcutt offer a totally FREE debt consultation and now, more than ever, it’s time to take them up on their offer. Just call toll free to +1-833-627-0115, or during the off hours, you can make your own appointment right online at www.billsbills.com. Simply click on the yellow “FREE Consultation Now” button.