Do you have any friends in Orange County going through foreclosure? They aren’t alone, and hopefully you will forward them this link.  Here’s 3 things you should know about foreclosure:

1.  Just because you’re late doesn’t mean you’ll be out on the street
2.  The bank doesn’t want your house back.  The bank is willing to work with you.
3.  There are FREE NONPROFIT organizations who are happy to help

90% of avoiding foreclosure is having the strength to fight your fears and deal with the people you don’t want to when you are down and out on your luck and finances.  Here is a PDF link to Orange County nonprofits who can help you avoid foreclosure:

FREE ORANGE COUNTY AGENCIES

TO HELP YOU FIGHT FORECLOSURE

Other agencies to contact who can help you avoid or deal with foreclosure are HUD, FHA, Freddie Mac and Fannie May.  Even the White House has a blog post to help you.  You worked hard to get the house, now work hard to keep it.  We know its hard & scary but YOU CAN DO IT!!! 🙂

Many banks are also creating home-preservation programs and have offices set up near you where you can talk to a face and eliminate the phone tree nightmare. For example, Wamu/Chase has a center set up in Santa Ana – call 866-550-5705 if you have a loan through them and want to find the closest center to you.

BEWARE:  There are a ton of shady people preying on those who are scared and late on payments right now.  Its ok to talk to professionals about your situation, but before you pay someone money to help you you should:

1.  Make sure they have a good reputation.  I’m talking personal referrals, not good sales staff.  GOOGLE THEM!
2.  Get every service they say they will provide you in writing
3.  Verify they are licensed – only licensed professionals have the right to accept $$ for services!

Its always best to exhaust your free options first.  These people want to help out of the goodness of their heart, not the goodness of their bank account.  USE YOUR RESOURCES its a tough process to go through alone!  Feel free to post your foreclosure solutions and problems below!

If you’re one of thousands who already lost the battle with foreclosure, its ok, most successful investors have been through it too!  Here is a post-foreclosure blog post for you to read.  We are happy to help direct anyone who is at any stage of this process to the right professionals, so don’t hesitate to call 877-230-3211 if you need some help or advice.  After all, its not just our duty to help you buy or sell a home.  We want you to retain it!!!!!