Behind on Your Mortgage?

I have good friends who are behind on their mortgage, so I know how stressful it can be!  I turned to Consumer Credit Counseling Service for some advice and here are the tips they offer:

1) Contact your Mortgage Company: Your mortgage company is the best place to find help. They will know which options are available to you and which ones you qualify for so don't be afraid to contact them. Many mortgage companies have departments (loss mitigation) that are dedicated to helping homeowners avoid foreclosure.

2) Realize that you are in a financial crisis: Cut spending as much as possible and stop spending on anything that isn't absolutely necessary. Set up a crisis budget so that you find ways to come up with extra money. This isn't business as usual.

3) Save as much as you can: When in the midst of working out payment arrangements on your past due mortgage, it is critical to put money in savings. If your mortgage company won't accept your payments until a plan is worked out, be sure you are setting aside as much as you can in savings. Some plans require a down payment or you may have to pay attorney fees so save whatever you can for these charges.

4) Contact a HUD Housing Counseling agency at www.hud.gov <http://www.hud.gov>: HUD counseling agencies will help you avoid foreclosure, work with your mortgage company, complete your paperwork and they will do it all for FREE. Don't pay someone to help you save your home. A HUD Housing counseling agency will do the same work (or even better) for free.