It's Not Ok to Lose Home to Foreclosure (What to do to keep your home...)

IT'S NOT OK TO LOSE YOUR HOME TO FORECLOSURE What to do to help KEEP your home... By Joy Santiago, Ralph Roberts Realty In a time where foreclosures run ramped, many people think that it's OK to lose their house to foreclosure; because "so many other people" are losing their homes, they think its the norm.They think it's acceptable.    IT'S NOT.  It is NOT OK to lose your home to foreclosure. . "I don't feel so bad, the Johnson's just lost their home, so did the Smiths last month".    It's crazy that people know they may have  a 6 month redemption period, but they don't know what to do to SAVE their home. Some people are abusing the system.  Some people are just throwing their hands up in the air and saying "screw it" when i lose my home,I will just be a renter. That is SO NOT the American Dream.  Being a homeowner IS the American Dream, you just have to fight for it more now then before. There are many things you can do to save your home like forbearance agreements (realistic),  etc.  Research the options with your mortgage company. Many mortgage companies are now working with customers to keep their mortgage rate reasonable, if you were in an ARM. If you can no longer afford your home, you may have to rent it out to someone who can afford it, until you can again.  If you live alone,  consider a roommate. Are you overspending?  CUT BACK.  Eat out once a week instead of 5 times a week.  Be diligent with travel, schedule your trips to the gym with your trips to the grocery store, so you don't have to drive back and forth and waste gas (at $3 a gallon)!.  How about 1 mocha latte a week instead of 5.  Did the kids really need that Nintendo WII?  Sure, all kids should get what they want or deserve, but the worst thing someone can do as a parent is displace your children, the kids will understand and they will learn about priorities too.  Hmm  a Xbox 360 or a decent roof over their head with some heat?  I think I'd go roof over my head. What bills are you paying on time?  The 1st thing that should be paid is the mortgage, and your utilities. Although all debts should be paid on time it may not be as important to pay your credit card as it is to pay for the roof over your head.  PRIORITIZE the funds that you do have. Transportation is important too but, do you really need to have that convertible (HA HA) or that Hummer?  Would it be more practical to have a gas miser car like a Ford Focus or something similar? Get a 2nd job, or a 3rd one until you can make ends meet.  Go to school improve your skills, Governor Granholm has initiated a "no worker left behind program" that caters to people who have a household income of 40,000 or less.  You could get up to $5000/year for up to 2years, FREE, to go to a 2 year college, use that to transfer to a 4 year college, or learn or improve a new skill or trade.  www.michigan.gov/nwlb The more that people fight to keep their homes, the less foreclosure there will be.  This will help preserve property values, as the values will no longer just be based on the plethora of foreclosed homes in the area.  It will help the economy and "stop the presses" and the media from propagandizing foreclosure. (which just brings on more foreclosure). FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT.  It's not OK to lose your home to foreclosure.