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Monday, November 30, 2009

Home Loan Relief Programs

By Scott Nicks

If you are having trouble making home loan payments and at risk of foreclosure their are a few relief programs you may be eligible for such as home loan refinance, mortgage modification, repayment plans, reinstatement, or forbearance.

With so many home owners struggling to make regular payments many homeowners are trying to find relief. The combination of a discounted property market and increasing fees is too large a burden for lots of property owners to afford.

Due to the significant growth in home loan defaults many lenders are willing to negotiate workout options with mortgage holders. If you are a property owner and in danger foreclosure you could be eligible for a restructuring of your present mortgage contract, this could happen as a result of home loan refinance or mortgage modification.

Mortgage refinancing is when a mortgage holder takes out a new mortgage with improved terms and utilizes the proceeds to pay off the current loan. Depending on the value in your property this could be available to you.

Mortgage modification is an renegotiation between the mortgage company and borrower to modify only specific elements of an existing home loan agreement. These changes can include rate changes and normally make it easier for borrowers to keep up with their home loan amortization schedule.

There are also programs that are designed to help borrowers who have ceased making payments to get current without penalty. These options preserve the existing mortgage contract but modify it for a short time to accommodate hardship situations and are repayment plans, reinstatement, and forbearance.

A home loan repayment plan is a program that provides a grace period for delinquent mortgage holders to pay back past due regular payments with no penalties. The late payments are usually added to the monthly payments for a fixed amount of time at the end of which the home owners is paid up.

If a mortgage company allows a late home owner to pay back the past due amount in one lump sum it is called mortgage reinstatement. This can be used in combination with forbearance if a mortgage holder can prove to the lender that they will soon receive a substantial sum of money often this is a tax return or cash of a sale.

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Saturday, November 28, 2009

A Bank Short Sale - The Best Way To Avoid Foreclosure?

By Anthony Mauwer

A bank short sale is not the only choice we have to avoid foreclosure - but it is definitely better than some of the other possibilities. If a homeowner is already in this position, they are already dealing with intense financial anxiety from every angle. If approved for a bank short sale, much of this stress will be alleviated because they'll be in a great position to purchase another home.

It is extremely difficult for us as homeowners to accept the fact that our home may be lost, but if it's going to happen, avoiding foreclosure is the highest priority. It's important for us to understand clearly that a short sale is not the"only" way out, but it may be the "best" way out. If we foreclose, the lender can sue us, garnish our wages, put a lien on other property, and hound us for years. All this in addition to the destruction of our credit rating. With a bank short sale - if handled correctly, we're making an agreement with our lenders beforehand to settle most of these issues now.

For the average borrower, the complex issues of a bank short sale cause high anxiety. The new terminology we experience, the lawyers, tax forms, and all of the new issues that arise can be quite overwhelming. This is in addition to our other financial difficulties. No matter how stressful things may seem to us, we cannot forget that every party involved in this short sale process is trying to recoup as much money as they can. Don't allowed yourself to be bullied. Bankers love to drop in last second requests. Be prepared for them.

We can avoid these last second surprises by having expert advice from the beginning. Do not try to complete a bank short sale without expert advice. You'll experience many aspects of law relating to your property taxes, your loan, and your property. You'll need an expert in "each" of these disciplines. If you look you'll be able to find local services that offer the expert help of lawyers, CPA's, and real estate agents - who'll be reimbursed by the lenders. There are good ones and bad ones out there - so be careful.

A bank is obviously not going to be happy about a short sale. They'll be happy about avoiding a foreclosure, but enthusiastic is not the word I would use to describe them. They're out after their money and at times they may be quite difficult to deal with. It is for this reason that some phases of the bank short sale that should move quickly - will not. Stay patient and keep your cool. Working with a bank during a short sale is quite similar to working with the government.

Although a bank short sale is a tenuous process and all parties may not always see eye to eye, in the end, we'll be the winners. We may lose our home, but we'll be considered winners if we can get the debt forgiven, come out without any unpaid property taxes, without a bankruptcy, and be free and clear. This is the beauty of a bank short sale. It's not all roses - no, but the ultimate objective is to end up in the best position to purchase another home. The successful completion of this process puts us in a great position to succeed in this area. A bank short sale is not the only way out - but it is definitely one of the best ways!

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Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Get Your Home Back By Working Out Your Foreclosure

By Doc Schmyz

The last thing anyone wants to loose is your house. Unfortunately even though we know this fact, sometimes we tend to take our mortgage payments for granted and end up loosing our homes. In this case, a home foreclosure will happen. When a borrower fails to pay his or her mortgage for a number of payments (usually 5 or 6) the lender will issue a foreclosure by selling the house or repossessing it.

Sadly, more often than not banks often lead the homeowners to believe that they don't have other options available. However there are other alternatives that homeowners can use to keep their house.

These are some of the options that homeowners can use.

Short stop

You can get a short refinance for the foreclosure of your property. If you don't want a new loan to cover an existing one, you can ask the help of a friend. A borrower's friend or relative can buy or pay off the mortgage.

New payment plan

The homeowner agrees to pay a portion of the amount and agrees to pay the rest in the succeeding months. The homeowner shows proof of their income and pays a down payment. This is a much easier way and most lenders agree to this plan.

Change of plans

In some cases a temporary change in the terms of the loan can be given when properly negotiated. These changes include but are not limited to, amortization extension and reduction of interest rate.

Third party sale

The property on foreclosure is sold to a third party. The proceeds will go to the mortgage lender as a settlement for the debt.

Friendly third party sale

The third party who buys the property sells it on foreclosure to clean the deed of other holders. Then, in turn the property is sold back to the borrower.

The above mentioned are just a few ideas of what you can do to keep your home if faced with foreclosure. Do not be afraid to ask for help. Be forward and upfront with your lender if you have fallen on hard times. If you have to take a second job to earn extra money then do it. It is far easier to work to stay out of foreclosure then to try and fix it once you have gotten a notice.

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Sunday, November 22, 2009

How To Avoid Credit Repair Scams And Get Your Credit Repaired Safely

By Sharpe Mckenzie

The FTC or Federal Trade Commission has been investigating consumer complaints of fraud and unfair business practices in the United States for more than 90 years. They also work on behalf of the consumer by gathering and publishing consumer information to help educate and inform them.

Some credit repair agencies have been charged with making fraudulent claims and you should be aware of this. Some companies might claim to repair your credit in a short period of time and the FTC says this is illegal.

Every company in business must use care in their claims they make and so it is with credit repair agencies as well. The Federal Trade Commission charged a company under the name of the national credit repair agency with "engaging in fraudulent credit repair activities" in 2003.

This credit agency claimed to consumers that they could remove any information from their credit report with a unique and sophisticated software system that they had. According to the FTC complaint, they did not have this special system, but by making this claim they were able to entice more than 183,000 consumers to spend a large amount of money, in the tune of $53 million on credit repair services!

Your credit score reported by the credit bureaus are usually accurate and verified but errors can happen. If you think you have inaccurate or unverifiable information on your credit report than you have a right to dispute it. No credit agency should suggest that you dispute any information that is accurate.

All credit bureaus have thirty days to investigate the disputed information you have.

The FTC advises that you associate with a law firm when you decide to get credit repair help. A reputable law firm will know of many legal methods to use that will get you on your way to a better credit score.

Be aware of illegal methods, such as file segregation, using employer identification numbers and making false statements on credit applications. The consumer would be wise to steer clear of any credit repair agency that recommends any of these options.

To make a complaint against an agency or company, make sure to visit the FTC website.

To repair your credit, your first step is to get your free credit report from each of the top three credit bureaus Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. You are entitled to a free report every twelve months under the The Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Go to the website or call the toll free number 1-877-322-8228. The address is Annual Credit Report Request Service, PO Box 105281, Atlanta, GA 30348-5281 to send in your request.

It may take fifteen days or more if you order by phone or by mail. You can get it instantly if you order online.

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Friday, November 20, 2009

Can You Tell Me If Filing Bankruptcy Is The Best Choice?

By Emma Elvie

Anyone who is experiencing financial trouble always wants to know if filing bankruptcy is the best choice for them and their family. While we are not opposed to people filing bankruptcy all that we want people to know is that there are other options that they can use as well.

We decided to sit down and write this article in hopes of being able to show people that while filing bankruptcy may seem like the only option to use when you are struggling financially; the truth is that most people are not aware of some of the other options that they can use to get rid of their debt.

1. Financial Advice: While we do not claim to be financial counselors who can help you get rid of your financial situation; the truth is that if you have not spoken to someone who can provide you with all your options then you have not sat down and looked at all your options realistically.

Financial counselors are ready to provide you with several different options that people can use to avoid these types of financial situations. It is vital that you take the time to find someone that you trust and can open up to freely without feeling uncomfortable.

2. Loan Consolidation: Many people have discovered that just by using a consolidation loan they have been able to save themselves from filing bankruptcy. There are several companies who provide great interest rate consolidation loans that can be used for the purpose of getting out of debt.

3. Borrowing From Family: If you are considering borrowing the money from your family you will want to ensure that you are able to repay them. Many people have borrowed all kinds of amounts from their family members and unfortunately are unable to repay them. If you have to borrow just a small one time amount then there may not be anything wrong with it. However ensure that you have a repayment plan in place that will enable you to repay your family without them having to ask you.

Stop by our site below for some more tips and advice that you can use to avoid filing bankruptcy. Our site is filled with valuable tips and advice that will help anyone get their finances back in control.

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Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Foreclosure Prevention Plan

By Kristin Johnston

If you have fallen behind in your monthly housing payment and are concerned that your mortgage lender may foreclose on your house you should know there are options available to help you get back on your feet. There are many home loan assistance programs created to allow underwater home owners reduce their monthly payments.

Avoiding foreclosure does not stop with a public assistance plan and reduced payments. Once you are on solid financial footing you must also think out and follow a sound financial plan.

There are many public programs intended to help borrowers to avoid foreclosure. Through relief programs such as mortgage modification and home loan refinance struggling mortgage holders may be able to reduce their mortgage payment. Mortgage modification is a special agreement you negotiate with your lender to alter specific terms of your mortgage contract.

Loan modifications are often used to change the repayment schedule of home loan contracts, usually making them lower to reduce pressure on homeowners. The other type of government mortgage assistance program is home loan refinance.

Mortgage refinancing requires an entirely new mortgage agreement to be taken out. Loan modification merely changes a few parts of an agreement while refinancing replaces the entire thing with a new agreement. Mortgage refinancing can happen with a different lender.

If you are qualified for aid and use the programs to get stable there are several things you still should do to avoid foreclosure. It is vital that you closely adhere to a sensible financial budget.

By spending unwisely there is a good chance you will find yourself facing foreclosure again in the future. If you are serious about preventing foreclosure and reclaiming your financial future it is important to do more than find a program to help you out now.

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Saturday, November 14, 2009

Can A Personal Loan Help Me Avoid Bankruptcy?

By Emma Elvie

We all know that personal loans can be used for all kinds of different purposes. In fact that is the main reason that so many people like borrowing these types of loans because they are able to fulfill their many needs, wants and desire. Many people who have borrowed personal loans have sometimes been able to use the funds to avoid bankruptcy.

Personal loans provide a lot of support to the borrowers looking for financial sustenance. Personal loans are basically of two types " secured and unsecured." Secured personal loans require the borrower to pledge collateral to the lender.

People have been known to put up their house or their vehicle as a form of collateral. When borrowing an unsecured loan you will not have to worry about coming up with collateral. Unsecured loans are the best option for people who do not believe that they have any type of collateral.

Unsecured loans are known to get approved quickly and easily. Statistics show that these types of loans will usually have a higher APR rate than the secured loans because the lender does not have any type of security backing up the money. There are many lenders who are still willing to lend out these types of loans. However you may want to consider working with a company that knows you.

The lenders attempt to make the process quickly and easy to help the customer. It is important that you read all the paperwork to understand what you are getting into. In fact right now may be the best time to get a personal loan at a decent interest rate. We all know that their job is to make the customer happy. Do not let the lender know that you are trying to avoid bankruptcy.

Secured or unsecured personal loans through these organizations are approved very quickly. The organizations have relationships with banks, which limit the time in which the loan is sanctioned so that the both parties are at ease with the situation.

Be sure to stop by our site and find out some more great tips that you can use to avoid bankruptcy. You will be amazed at all the great tips and resources that you will discover that can help you get your control of your finances.

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Wednesday, November 11, 2009

How To Know If You Should Refinance

By Tally Xyssion

Rates on a 30 year loan are at historic lows. In fact the interest rate on a 30 year loan is lower than it has been in the past forty years. Along with this low interest rate comes gigantic opportunity for property owners to decrease their loan payments. Determining whether or not it makes sense to refinance is dependent on your unique situation, as well as how much money you will save in comparison to the new costs. The analysis is a relatively simple, but you should understand the procedure so that you can benefit from refinancing.

The simplest way to determine whether or not to refinance your home is to look at your current mortgage and the respective time it will take to pay it off. Next compare this amount to what your payment will be after refinancing. If refinancing will reduce your payment and not add years or significant cost, then the refinancing your mortgage makes sense.

The simplest way to see if updating your mortgage makes sense from a quantitative point of view is to list your current payoff, the number of payments left, and your current monthly payment. Multiply the number of outstanding payments by your current monthly payment and write this number down.

Now write down the refinance number, the new refinance term, and the approximate new mortgage payment. Simplify the calculations by using a spreadsheet, or online refinance calculator. Include your refinance costs as part of the total amount that you will be financing, bank fees, appraisal fees and transfer and escrow costs. Now repeat the same calculation as before, multiply the total number of payments by the monthly payment amount.

If you are updating your mortgage, but not pulling out any equity, the refinance makes the most common sense if you can lower your periodic payment, and if the entire amount paid (number of payments multiplied by the monthly payment) after the refinance is lower than the complete amount to be of the payoff your current mortgage. If the periodic payment is lower than your current payment, but the full amount is more, you have to decide if paying lower monthly outweighs the greater amount you will need to disburse. The opposite decision is needed if your payment increases but the entire amount due decreases. In either case, check your calculations carefully as you come to a decision.

One thing to remember with the above calculations is that the money refinanced must equal your existing mortgage. If the refinance amount exceeds the amount presently due on the mortgage then a much more complicated analysis is desirable. For this type of analysis, you will need a spread sheet with present value and amortization calculations. If you are not comfortable with these types of calculations, consult a financial adviser or accountant to assist with quantifying your decision.

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Sunday, November 8, 2009

The Idea Behind Debt Consolidation

By John Davis

Your debt consolidation is not complete until you have negotiated the debt that you owe. You are not trying to get out of it without paying, mind. You are merely telling them you will pay in other terms. Just make sure that they see how they will benefit from that too.

What you owe might be a lot, but with debt consolidation you can totally handle it. I know you feel panicky about how it is all going to work out, but you should try cooling down and watching things objectively for a while. All you have to do is find a firm that is willing to work things out with you, and your debt consolidation can be through that easily.

If your credit firm is not willing to lower the interest rate on you loan, your debt consolidation effort has not been successful. Put your back into it and have them see things in your own light. If they persist, you have the option of trying another firm out; after all, there are a lot of them out there that will debt consolidate you in a hurry anytime.

The idea behind debt consolidation is to save money over the life of your loan. If you cannot manage that, you have not done too well. Try rethinking your strategy about how you want to package the deal. Sure you cannot be too greedy to save all the merits of it for yourself only; otherwise no credit firm will touch you with a ten-mile pole. Spread the love.

There are a lot of ways to remain in debt for the rest of your life. Hey, you could just continue to borrow without good plans of how to pay back, or you could borrow from too many companies all at once. But there are only a few ways to get out of the debt cycle fair and square. One of such is through debt consolidation. Why not learn more about it and try giving it a shot?

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Thursday, November 5, 2009

Things You Should NEVER Do When Facing Home Foreclosure

By Maxi Croones

In the midst of crisis, many of us resort to desperate actions- many of these are highly pointless yet really debilitating on the part of the sufferer. If you are facing foreclosure, these are some of the things you should not consider.

First, letting the problems multiply. If you are having a great deal of problems with your real estate investment, try to eliminate the possibilities of incurring more problems.

Second, ignoring your other assets. You are likely to have other properties and resources that could be used to pay for the mortgage of your house, or at least to send a message to your lender that you are going out of your way to save your house. You could sell your other properties, say a second car or your whole-life insurance, to augment your resources and maybe use the money to reinstate your loan. Or, somebody from your household could get an extra job that could add to your income. These efforts may not yield significant changes in your resources but they are good mediums to secure your finances and increase your cash.

3rd, looking for services of foreclosure prevention companies. Yes these are bonafide corporations and have proved their worth in the business but going through a foreclosure suggests that you have got to keep your money intact. But you should understand that you've got to maximize the potentials of your cash and it is not the most suitable time to spend your money on services that you can get free. Use the cash that you'd be paying these services for your mortgage defaults instead. Besides, the service you can get from them may be rendered by lending advisors for nothing. for home repos. This agency is designed to help folks with foreclosure cases.

Ultimately, signing legal documents without understanding what they are saying. Many companies will exploit your despondency to recover or prevent your home from being foreclosed. There are a lot of cons offering fast fixes that would do just that. If somebody asked you to sign something and guaranteed things like they could save your house or they might act in your behalf, try and be awfully cynical. If their terms are too good to be true, review them. Always seek professional advice first before committing yourself to anything, especially legal documents.

If you are facing repossession there are reputable resources available to help you to stop your foreclosure for free at http://www.free-foreclosure-stop.com

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Monday, November 2, 2009

Hardest Hit Foreclosure States In The Country

By Anthony M. Flores

Home foreclosures have hit a record high in the U.S. Lenders are not able to collect on their loans because of numerous economic issues including high unemployment rate, this has resulted in a shortage of money and jobs.

Many of the big states in the U.S. have recorded the highest number of home foreclosures. One out of every 398 houses in the U.S. is under the threat of foreclosure.

Nevada is one of the hardest hit States with one in 33 houses in foreclosure. This figure translates to over 34,417 homes in process of foreclosure. Florida is next with a mind blowing 165,291 homes in foreclosure, which equals one out of every 50 homes in foreclosure.

Almost 77 percent of the U.S is facing foreclosure. California is one of the leading foreclosed states along with Ohio, Texas, Detroit, Virgina, Michigan, Illinois, and Georgia.

Foreclosures in Las Vegas have seen as many as 14,861 homes in foreclosure. This means that one in every 54 homes are in foreclosure. Another staggering number is that 15 percent of all foreclosures are in the state of Florida.

Adjustable mortgage rates and high interest are major factors in the foreclosure crisis. Foreclosures hit a record high in 2009. In February of 2009 there were 117,259 homes in foreclosure equaling 68 percent more in February of last year.

There are many reasons to record foreclosures in the U.S. Home value depreciation and job loss are definitely two of the most significant factors in mortgage foreclosures in the country.

There is hope and a solution to curb these foreclosures numbers and help homeowners fight foreclosure. In an effective way to provide a solution to these foreclosure rates, most banks and lenders are providing homeowners with a repayment plan known as loan modification.Loan modification is a great solution in combating these horrific foreclosure rates by reducing the homeowners interest rate and lowering their monthly payments. If you are having trouble making your mortgage payment, consult with your lender to see if there is a program that they may have to help you save your home.

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