Hope is the air in America.  Despite job loss and economic woe, there is determination to fix whatever problems threaten to overwhelm us.  Nowhere is this more true than in the area of foreclosures, a problem that both the government and private groups have sought to find solutions for.  While some people find themselves on the verge of losing their homes because they took on too much debt or managed their finances poorly, many more have fallen on hard times due to job loss or illness.  Many were caught up in a syndrome of falling home prices that has left them with loans far in excess of the current value of their home.

No one facing foreclosure ever thought this would happen to them, so faced with threatening letters from the bank and mounting bills, most people do not know what to do.  Fortunately, inexperienced people do not have to go it alone when they follow rule #1 of how to approach impending foreclosure:  GET HELP EARLY.

One non-profit group that stands ready to help is the Homeowner's Preservation Foundation.  The group staffs a counseling service called Homeowner's HOPE which works with callers to develop a plan to save their homes. The counselors are HUD-approve experts in foreclosure prevention who actually work with callers to develop individualized action plans or offer advice, whichever is needed.  Since 2002, this group has educated and assisted over 530,000 homeowners.  The hotline number is 1 (888) 995-HOPE.  In recognition of the fact that the fear of foreclosure keeps many people up nights, the hotline is staffed with bilingual representatives 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and even offers online counseling sessions at www.995hope.org.

With the state number two in the nation for foreclosure, Florida attorneys have banded together to offer volunteer services for homeowners in foreclosure, who have missed mortgage payments, or who fear they will fall behind soon.  FLASH (Florida Attorneys Saving Homes) staffers qualify callers with a few questions and then place them with attorneys who will negotiate with lenders for them.  Recent Federal programs and even initiatives by lenders have made loan modification easier but the process is still no breeze for homeowners.  The program was created the assumption that borrowers would have more success in having their loans modified if an attorney helped them.  The hotline number is 1-(866) 607-2187.

Throughout the State of Florida, there is a network of HUD-approved housing counselors standing by to assist troubled homeowners.  All are non-profit organizations that charge no fee to offer foreclosure advices as well as budget counseling and alternative suggestions if saving the home is not possible.  A complete list of Florida HUD-approved counselors includes several right in Orlando, such as A.C.O.R.N. Housing, the Metropolitan Orlando Urban League, and Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Central Florida.

In addition to this network of genuinely helpful agencies is an underworld of for-profit businesses who offer to save homes for a fee.  Some firms are legitimate, but the majority are shady concerns that prey on fear.  Advertising their services on telephone poles, flyers slipped under wind shield wipers, and late night infomercials, the companies employ a variety of tactics that may give them the possession of the home or its profits and leave the borrower in much worse shape than before.  Legitimate agencies are quick to warn homeowners to be wary of any company that tells them to abandon their home, sign over their home, or pay fees for foreclosure services.

There's hope even in foreclosure.  If you have a problem, seek help right away and don't leave your home. A better future awaits.  If you are interested in selling your home on short sale or in buying bank owned properties in central Florida, Exit Real Estate Results has the experience and patience to work through the process with you.