Facing Foreclosure: How to Find Advice Online
If you are a homeowner who is on the brink of foreclosure or if your lender has already started the proceedings, you may not know where to turn. If you are limited on financial resources you may be unable to hire a lawyer to provide you with expert advice. Although nothing is better than professional help, you can turn to the internet.
When using the internet to find advice about foreclosure or to learn what your rights as a homeowner are, visit the website of your state. This should be the official website. Perform a search on the site for information on foreclosures. You should be provided with information on foreclosure laws in your state of residence, as well as detailed information on the process works. This information may also be available from other sources online, but you know the information is accurate and up-to-date when you get it directly from the source.
Another type of website that you may want to checkout is that of foreclosure attorneys or those who specialize in real estate. Many lawyers will share important foreclosure information and tips on their websites, available to you free of charge. For example, a current search of foreclosure attorneys will tell you that in some states foreclosure can be stopped right in its tracks when bankruptcy is declared. Although not all attorneys are willing to divulge all of their secrets, you may be surprised how much information you can find online.
The internet can also be used to help you find and hire a lawyer. As previously stated, those facing foreclosure donít always have the financial resources needed to hire a lawyer, but there are ways around this. Some lawyers will accept cases pro bono and others will work out a payment agreement with you. As for when you should hire an attorney, you should do so if you fall victim to a foreclosure scam or if you believe that your lender is treating you unfairly and illegally. As a reminder, lawyers specializing in real estate and foreclosures are recommended.
Credit counseling websites are another resource that you can find available online. This is a controversial and sometimes risky approach, but help may be out there for you. Some credit counseling companies may try to work with your lender for you. This may result in more affordable monthly mortgage payments for you. With that in mind, there are many scams that surround these companies, even those that claim to be non-profit organizations. For that reason, do the proper amount of research online first or check with the Better Business Bureau (BBB).
The website for the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) should be visited as well. There you will find a lot of information that is not only from a reliable source, but accurate. This website can be found at HUD.gov. There, you can not only review your options before, during, and after foreclosure, but you can be connected to valuable resources, including a HUD approved housing counselor.
Also online, you will find a number of websites that are operated by individuals just like yourself. Many have dealt with foreclosures firsthand, some came out on top, while others didnít. These types of websites can be used to provide you with valuable resources, as well as support. Hearing how to deal with foreclosure firsthand, through someone who has been there before, may be a source of comfort for you.