Working with Your Mortgage Lender to Avoid Foreclosure

Foreclosure continues to be a problem for many. If you are in danger of foreclosure, and you want to avoid it, you will have to work with your mortgage lender. There are some measures that a mortgage lender might be willing to agree to, if it means the whole foreclosure thing can be avoided. As soon as you realize that you might be in trouble, you should contact your mortgage lender. Here are the 3 most likely scenarios for avoiding foreclosure:

1. Repayment plan. This is when you work out the repayment of missed mortgage payments by dividing up the amount you owe, and spreading it out over a certain period of time. For example, if you owe $6,000, you migh be able to add $100 to each of your monthly payments for five years.

2. Loan modification. This is becoming a greater possibility since the passage of measures to encourage mortgage lenders to help. The government is offering incentives to lenders who are willing to lower interest rates, or change the term of the loan, so that you can more easily afford the payments.

3. Refinancing. If you still have equity in your home, you might be able to refinance. In this case your loan balance would be paid off with the new loan. If you have missed some payments, what you owe could be added to the loan balance.

Other methods that some mortgage lenders might consider (but not very likely) to help you avoid foreclosure include debt forgiveness for what you owe, forebearance and a short sale of your home.