If it looks like you might lose your home in the near future, you should contact your lender to see if they will arrange a short sale for you. The short sale is a way to avoid foreclosure if you owe more than your home is worth. The lender agrees to sell it for market value or less, and it's a really good way to prevent foreclosure. A foreclosure is a major problem for your credit, and it will make it hard for you to finance a home or a car in the future, not to mention getting an unsecured credit card.

If your bank agrees to the short sale, you have a good chance of selling your home. Many people are looking at real estate right now as a good investment. They feel that the market is nearly at the bottom, so before prices start creeping up, they are building their portfolios, or getting out of the rental apartment that they have been living in. Don't despair about selling your home through a short sale. It's simply the smartest way to get out of a home in which you are upside down, and can't afford. jessica Coleman Is a Port Charlotte Realtor with Allison James, (941) 421-4052