Freddie Mac is helping consumers separate foreclosure fact from fiction in a new video series recently launched on its YouTube Channel (http://www.youtube.com/FreddieMac). Each video dispels one of five common myths that could prevent people from keeping their homes if they face foreclosure. It is based on content from the Freddie Mac Get the Facts on Homeownership education and outreach materials. Here are five common myths that consumers should be aware of when it comes to dealing with foreclosures.
It’s not uncommon for home owners to become anxious and overwhelmed when they incur financial problems that can prevent them from making their monthly mortgage payments. This can happen for any number of reasons: a loss of income, divorce, medical problems or other personal circumstances.
If you are having problems here are some things you can do to avoid foreclosure proceedings in Pennsylvania. Start by clarifying the cause of your financial problems and why you are in foreclosure. Gather your documentation for your monthly income and expenses. You will need this information as you explore your options to try and find alternatives to foreclosure.
Since 2007, over 4 million Americans have lost their homes due to foreclosure. By early next year, that number is expected to reach 6 million. Historically, the legal procedure of foreclosure, in which a homeowner is required to relinquish his or her home to a lender upon mortgage default, generally favored banks and lenders who were well-versed in the practice.
However, recently this trend has reversed as many of today's homeowners who receive their notice of default are choosing to engage in an effective foreclosure defense process to stall, and often cease, the foreclosure proceedings filed against them. These recent successes can be attributed to the greater encouragement of mortgage modification and the piling evidence that, as a whole, the real estate industry has been largely perpetrators of fraudulent and predatory lending practices. The discovery of which has impacted judicial attitude and largely shifted court sympathies towards homeowners perceived as victims.
House vs. Home
We understand that you probably have an emotional attachment to your home, but is it time to start looking at your home as a house or an investment?
Foreclosures broke records in the years following the 2007 subprime lending crash and housing market collapse. Many industry watchers used the word "crisis" to describe the rapid increase of foreclosures. Illinois is one of many states to try to address the problem with legislation to help protect struggling homeowners. While homeowners do have a better opportunity to stop foreclosure in Illinois with the new laws, as you might expect, there are complexities. Typically, a homeowner's best option is to hire an attorney experienced with foreclosure defense in Illinois.
Pets Left Behind and Forgotten – Victims of Foreclosure
They can't speak for themselves: poor defenseless animals abandoned and left behind in foreclosed homes. It's a bigger issue than people realize, a serious consequence of the foreclosure nightmare.
Many homeowners do consider turning their pets into animal shelters, but due to overpopulation at many shelters, almost half of incoming animals are euthanized. Heartless homeowners sometimes leave pets in their abandoned homes without food or water, not to mention a non-temperature-controlled environment. Veterinarians say a dog or cat will become dehydrated within 24 hours without water and could die a slow, painful death within a few days.
Why or How Can Foreclosed Homeowners Abandon Pets?
Editor's note: This article was originally published in 2013, and has been updated for accuracy in 2016.
Whether you're already in foreclosure or just in fear of being served foreclosure, the question of how to stop the foreclosure process and the thought of losing your home are probably already keeping you up at night. If you're in foreclosure or in fear of foreclosure there are several steps you can take to either prolong the process or stop foreclosure in Florida.
