If you are a homeowner and are struggling to make your mortgage payment in this sinking economy it is important that you take a realistic look at your real estate investment and think ahead to plan a strategy to protect your assets and get you through. You need to be realistic about what can happen to your property and what options you may have to protect your assets.

One of the biggest obstacles we have to overcome is fear. Many people are fearful that if they call their mortgage company and say ?I am struggling to pay the bills?, that the company will just indiscriminately take their home and leave them searching for a vacant bus bench to crawl under.

Though we have all heard (or imagined) horror stories of this happening, reality and situations are usually different than the hear-say which gets passed around. As a child, I had a hard time appreciating the clich?? to ?believe half of what you see and nothing of what you hear.? As an adult, dealing with hundreds and thousands of individuals, the clich?? has become a secondary foundation in my thinking. Another clich??, ?truth is often stranger than fiction? is a helpful filter which gives aid to understanding.

My advice to anyone who is facing tough decisions is to sit down with a trained credit counselor and/or financial advisor to seek guidance. They help people with this exact type of problem every day. They have more than likely heard people tell stories which are ten times worse than your own, so don't expect them to be shocked or critical.

Once you get the counselors recommendation, if it is reasonable in your eyes, take action to fix the problem. You may be able to salvage your personal economy with some effort. You may need to file for bankruptcy. Only the trained professional will know for certain. Either way, the world will not fall apart ? yours or anyone else's. Dreams may be squashed or delayed, but life is more than finances.

It is amazing how difficult times can strengthen our bonds and unite us in ways we thought were not possible.

There are many resources available to us today to anyone who will pick up the phone or move their mouse.

FDR said, ?the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.? The Bible tells us, ?Fear not, I am with you, and will bless you.? Get a pro to help you get rid of the stress so you can get a good nights rest.