Most of us run into money problems at some point in our lives, and have to try some creative financing. If you own your home, and are in a tough situation, you may be at risk for losing your house through foreclosure. If you find yourself in this kind of trouble, the good news is, there are some ways to hold onto your home.

Foreclosure is what happens if you can no longer meet the payment schedule on your home loan. The lending institution repossesses your home and sells it to someone else. There are three options that you should know about. The first one is to try to keep it. The second is to sell it yourself; using the money to repay the loan and any extra fees you've accrued. The third option is to let the lender proceed with the foreclosure. It will then be your responsibility to pay any difference between the price they got and what you owe.

The first rule of thumb is to respond to any letters you receive about late payments. The worst thing you can do is just ignore them. Call the number provided and give a detailed explanation to someone as to why you are behind. Remember that a foreclosure is a major undertaking for the mortgage holder as well as you, so they will most likely try to work with you. It costs them money, time and trouble.

If you are suddenly unemployed, have an increase in monthly expenses, or your salary has decreased, you may be eligible for a Special Forbearance. With this option the mortgage company lets you make lower payments, or even no payments for a certain period of time.

Another option is a Mortgage Modification. With this option, your mortgage is refinanced or the term of your loan extended. The way this program is designed, you have an opportunity to become caught up on payments. A Partial Claim is another possibility whereby your mortgage company would help you secure an interest free loan from HUD, which helps you bring your mortgage to a current payment status.

Remember, if you fall behind, rather than worry about foreclosure, talk to your mortgage company to see what programs you would qualify for so you can stay in your home. Never ignore the problem, because you likely have several viable options to fix your foreclosure problem.

Copyright 2006, Gerry Vandewall, All Rights Reserved. This article may be published on web sites or in newsletters provided this notice and the resource box is included without ammendment.