Foreclosure - What Can We Expect

With the wealth of information and statistics flooding the market it's surprising to see that homeowners are not preparing themselves a little better. A study recently conducted by the Center for Responsible Lending predicts that 1 in 5 subprime loans issued in the past two years will enter some stage of foreclosure. This will be an estimated $164 billion cost to homeowners.

In addition to subprime loans, another driving force is the housing market, appreciation has come to a complete standstill in some states and some states are entering the negative zone. This is going to have a bad effect on the housing market as a whole and is only going to increase the quantity of foreclosures in the coming year.

With homeowners doing their homework on the foreclosure rates and different loan types contributing to this increase, they are less willing to try these creative loans methods that were common in 2005. Lenders are being warned to be more selective when reviewing the initial loan application to ensure that the homeowner can afford the loan 2 years from now. This foreclosure epidemic is having a negative impact on the mortgage industry as well as all other real estate professionals that are not working in the foreclosure arena.

Looking ahead and 2007 the foreclosure rate is expected to double from 2006. With 1.4 million homes entering some stage of foreclosure in 2006 that means that almost 3 million foreclosures are expected.

These predictions are grim to say the least. Not only for American homeowners grasping to their "American Dream" but also for those real estate and mortgage professionals not offering foreclosure prevention type alternatives. On the other hand there are some real estate agents and mortgage brokers that have realized that adding foreclosure prevention type services is not only going to increase their bottom line but insure that these clients of theirs come back themselves and refer others as well. Diversity in the real estate and mortgage industry is a must coming into 2007. Without the ability and foresight to diversify, incomes for these professionals are going to feel a strong pinch in the coming years.

There are companies that offer partnership and/or training on foreclosure prevention alternatives and they are seeing a flood of brokers and agents stepping up to the plate. In a recent interview with the president of Freedom Foreclosure Prevention Services, LLC, Jeff Segal, he stated "It's not only imperative for mortgage and real estate professionals to add to their current services, come 2007 it will be absolutely necessary if they want to survive this injured market. In the past six months our company has developed a unique partnership program that works well for these professionals to offer services and actually experience relief in this economical whirlwind we have all been experiencing. If they have clients coming to their front door that are facing foreclosure and they can't offer a solution, they send these clients away and will never lay eyes on them again or their business. If they are able to offer a viable and ethical solution, even if they are just referring them to someone, they are securing that client's rapport, business and the most powerful advertiser still today - word of mouth referrals. Its time they realized that diversification is going to be the life raft of 2007 for most of these folks."

He has created a unique opportunity for real estate and non real estate professionals so they can expand their current services and offer foreclosure prevention assistance.

It is refreshing to know that there are still people out there looking out for the homeowners. Hopefully, in 2007, we will see more Americans helping Americans. It's the only way to survive the market that lies ahead without losing sleep over possible unethical practices just to stay afloat. As a nation it is important to stand together through this foreclosure epidemic and fight back for our fellow Americans.

For more information on Foreclosure Prevention Service, you can click here.

Foreclosure Stopping

You’ve just received a terrifying telephone call from your lender. He or she has threatened foreclosure on your beloved property and says there’s nothing you can do to stop the proceedings. But before you start to pack up your belongings, rest assured that there are several ways of foreclosure prevention, including those below. Some cost money and some are free.

1. Foreclosure Mediation - Probably the most popular and common with people who can't pay all the past due mortgage payments at once. This service negotiates with the lender to move those payments to the back of the loan (pending you have the proven income to make the current payments). It is essentially like getting a grace period.

2. Negotiate a Repayment Structure Yourself - This is definitely the cheapest way, but can be frustrating if your lender doesn't have a helpful "loss mitigation department" or a "hardship" program. It can be viewed the same as if you were going to fix your own car. First you have to learn about the car, then fix the car. As with car repair, most people would rather hire a specialist to handle their financial affairs.

3. Deed in lieu of foreclosure - This is where you realize that you can't pay for the house and you voluntarily give the house back to the lender. This still is subject to a deficiency judgment yet counts as a "less serious" foreclosure on your credit.

4. Sell your house - This is a great way if you feel you can get what you owe out of your house. Remember to include the standard 6% realtor fees when calculating your take home. You can negotiate the buyer to pay some of the realtor fees, but it is rare.

For assistance on stopping foreclosure with the mediation services mentioned above, click here.