If you’re underwater on your home, or having trouble keeping up with your monthly mortgage payments, you could be fearful that your mortgage provider is going to foreclose. You’re not alone.
Thankfully, there are a number of things that you can do to avoid foreclosure in Davenport. It’s important to remember that moving quickly is absolutely paramount, and could save your credit rating and your home.
So lets dive in on a some quick information on pre-foreclosure & Foreclosure along with tips on possibly how to avoid foreclosure in Davenport with your home.
Many homeowners across Davenport & Iowa are facing difficulties making their monthly mortgage payments.
When a homeowner misses 3-6 months of mortgage payments, the lending institution will issue a warning, notifying the homeowner to pay or lose their home. This period is known as “pre-foreclosure.”
Banks and mortgage lenders typically provide three months for the homeowner to become current. Of course this number can vary by bank and situation sometimes.
If a homeowner fails to make the necessary payments, the bank will foreclose on the home, assuming ownership, and evict the homeowner. Thankfully, during this stage of the foreclosure process, a mortgage holder has the opportunity to take advantage of several options to prevent losing their home.
If you’re behind on mortgage payments, you’re likely to receive a “notice of default” from your mortgage lender.
This document will state that you have not made mortgage payments for the last 90-180 days. It’s important not to panic.
You have options that can delay or even prevent losing your home:
- If your mortgage is “above water,” (meaning you have equity in your house) you may be able to refinance your mortgage, receiving lower monthly payments. Check with your local Davenport mortgage broker… or contact us and we can connect you with a reputable one.
- You may be able to quickly sell your home to a real estate investor that’s a reputable, using the cash acquired to pay the months of back-payments owed (or we *may* be able to work out something with the lender that relieves all or part of your back payments. We can buy your Davenport home quickly, often in just a week or two, will pay in cash, and take the stress out of trying to find a buyer.
- You can contact the bank and ask them to permit a short sale. In a short sale, you’ll sell your home for less than it’s worth, and the bank will take the loss as a tax write-off. In some short sales you may still be required to pay the difference to the bank if the house doesn’t sell for what is owed on the loan.
- You may be able to declare bankruptcy, which can buy you time to pay your debt. Bankruptcy will remain on your credit report for years, and can cause significant damage.
Lenders are very much aware of the widespread financial troubles across the country and they’re willing to work with borrowers a lot of the time.
If you’re honest and communicate with your lender, you’ll often find that there are options that will allow you to remain in your home, or at least salvage your credit rating.
A foreclosure can often negatively affect your credit score by 200-400 points and can prevent you from obtaining a loan of any sort for 5-7 years, so be very dutiful if you’ve received a Notice of Default from your lender.
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If you’ve gotten a foreclosure notice of default and want to know what the heck is going on, keep reading.
Basically, a foreclosure notice of default is a document that has to be filed by a lender to start the process of foreclosure.
The foreclosure notice of default must be sent to anyone who has an interest in the property (any other loans, lenders, or even contractors who are owed money for work done to a property will get a copy).
The foreclosure notice of default must also be published in a newspaper and physically posted in a prominent place on the property itself.
Although this can be really embarrassing to someone going through foreclosure, it’s actually a very important protection for consumers.
Back before US law required a notice of default, people were sometimes foreclosed on without any warning.
In fact, it’s happened even in the past few years – at least one bank has accidentally foreclosed on the wrong property and kicked people out of their house without due process or warning. It’s even happened around Davenport.
The notice of default is a very important step within the foreclosure process that gives people with an interest in the property to step forward and claim their rights – before it’s too late.
If you’ve received a notice of default, don’t wait. Time is definitely of the essence, and you should take action.
Here are a few key steps you should take in case your received a notice of default:
1) Stay calm and don’t panic.
This may sound obvious, but it’s probably the most important. Anyone in foreclosure is dealing with a lot of stress beyond just the property. These situations don’t happen overnight, and they take a while to solve. You’ll get through it by practicing good coping techniques and taking good care of yourself and your family. Panic leads to bad decisions, so stay cool.
2) Educate yourself.
Learn everything you can about the foreclosure process in your state so that you know what’s happening and what’s coming up next.
3) Gather your resources.
There’s also many non-profit and government resources available out there. You’ll want good legal and tax advice along the way. Definitely don’t try to do it all yourself. This stuff is super complicated with lots of rules.
4) Learn your options.
We’re here to help you avoid foreclosure. We buy houses with cash. We can help you with short sales and even rent-back situations so you (potentially) may be able to keep living in your home. There are many more options than you think.
5) Communicate.
The banks involved don’t want your property. They want money, and what you say matters a lot. You can slow down or stop the foreclosure process if you take the appropriate action.
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WE DON'T CHARGE ANY FEES… We’ll evaluate your situation… and present you with your options so you can get this foreclosure behind you.Don’t Abandon Ship – YOU HAVE OPTIONS
Many people simply give up and walk away from their home in such cases. This can be stressful situation, but it’s extremely important to keep your wits about you. A foreclosure will have a huge negative impact on your credit score, and likely prevent you from purchasing a home for years to come. If you sell your home, you could leave a portion of the loan unpaid, and the lender could pursue legal action against you for the unpaid portion.
While foreclosure is extremely stressful, you do have options:
• Negotiate with your mortgage lender. Banks and other financial institutions are well aware that citizens of Davenport are struggling. If you haven’t missed a payment yet, you may have some leverage to renegotiate the terms of your loan. Banks don’t like foreclosing on homes, and many will work with you if you aren’t too far behind. You may be offered forbearance, or even a full loan modification.
• Ask for help from Uncle Sam. Over the years, the federal government has implemented a number of programs to help struggling homeowners. The Home Affordable Modification Program (HAMP) allows struggling homeowners to modify their loans, reducing monthly payments. The Home Affordable Refinance Program allows homeowners who are current on their mortgage payments refinance an adjustable rate mortgage into a low-interest, fixed rate loan. Both of these programs are subject to eligibility requirements.
We understand that the possibility of losing your home can be stressful. You aren’t alone. Citizens all over Davenport are going through the same troubles. Foreclosure can have a lasting effect on your financial life, and it’s important to move quickly and take advantage of any options available. You could save both your credit rating and remain in your home.
We may be able to help you avoid foreclosure… connect with us today and lets discuss your situation. We don’t charge any fees… we’ll evaluate your situation… and present you your options so you can move forward and get this foreclosure behind you.
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