How not to become a Florida Foreclosure Statistic

July Foreclosures in Florida

July data shows:

• 9 % decrease in Florida foreclosure activity for the month.
• More than 19,000 foreclosures were filed in Florida in July
• 78 percent increase over the previous year.

So how can you as a home owner protect yourself against a foreclosure ?

“Take Action Early to Avoid Foreclosure”, Says the Homeownership Preservation Foundation, an independent nonprofit that provides HUD-approved counselors dedicated to helping homeowners.

You can call them any time at: 888-995-HOPE Callers are connected with counselors who work for HUD-certified counseling agencies. The financial counselors help homeowners, free of charge, to address their financial situation and understand their options. They also work to establish a dialogue between the homeowner’s mortgage company and the homeowner.

The foundation recommends the following six steps to prevent foreclosure:
1. Take action immediately. If you are going to be late with a mortgage payment, contact your mortgage company right away.
2. Call the Home-ownership Preservation Foundation to speak, free of charge, to a counselor about your financial situation.
3. Organize and prioritize your bills and debt. Alert agencies such as your credit cards and utilities — make them aware of your financial crisis. Do not write checks
hoping that you’ll be able to cover them. Late fees and bounced check fees can be extremely high.
4. Make every attempt to protect your credit score.
5. Watch out for predatory lenders and scams. Before signing any document concerning your home, check with an attorney or your mortgage company.
6. Make sure you take action. Doing nothing will only make a bad situation worse. Seek help early and you may be able to save your home.Additional Resources:

• H.U.D. - How to Avoid Foreclosure
  • H.U.D. - Help Save My Home

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