When you're having financial troubles, the first thing you need to figure out is to stop foreclosure loans. A foreclosure loan won't just cause you to lose your home. It will result in a really bad credit score too, which will be hard to repair. Once you're facing foreclosure, you're looking at a serious dislocation, and the possibility of never being able to buy your own house for five to seven years.
Talk to your lender
Most people make the mistake of "hiding their tracks" when they lose money. Whether it's out of guilt or panic, they always do the same thing. Instead of telling the lender the full details of their circumstances, they dodge credit card and mortgage payments completely, thinking that the problem will go away.
Aside from the fact that hiding isn't a very grown up thing to do, it won't stop foreclosure loans either. Remember, once that Notice of Default arrives at your doorstep, there's no turning back. You will have to face the consequences of a foreclosure, which will mean having your home auctioned off for less than the value it's supposed to have.
Before that Notice of Default comes your way, you should tell your lender that you're in serious financial trouble. Your lender, whether it's a bank or a smaller loaning agency, can do two things. They can either give you a longer loan period which spreads the payments into smaller, more manageable portions throughout the term, or they could refer you to a financial counselor.
You'll be surprised at how many families actually face foreclosure threats when they own more than enough luxury cars and other excessive items in their homes. Who knows, instead of refinancing, you might just need to sell off cars which you don't need, and settle for items which fit better within your means.
Look at your credit history
Even without a financial counselor, you should be able to pinpoint which things you're overspending on. For example, if you spend way too much on clothing, maybe it's time to shift to a more affordable brand. Being in a huge financial trouble is also indicative of the fact that you're probably not earning enough for the things that your lifestyle demands. You should look at your daily schedule and examine if you're actually maximizing your efforts to earn money. If you spend ¾ of the time shopping and only ¼ on work, then you should set your priorities straight.
Consider short selling
Instead of having your home auctioned off, you can also consider short selling. This option is ideal if any method of refinancing still doesn't work for you. When there's a death in the family, or a serious illness you need to finance, lenders are usually more forgiving. They can choose to "ignore" a portion of your debt so you can catch up on your payments. However, when you have totally no money at hand, selling the property in your own terms is better than having it foreclosed. Short selling also saves you from the trouble of facing bad credit scores in the future.
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