Foreclosure Prevention Services & Information

How Our Services Can Help You

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Fair Housing Advocates of Northern California’s foreclosure services are FREE to the homeowner.

Fair Housing Advocates’s HUD-approved housing counselor can assist you if:

  • You are having difficulty making your mortgage payments
  • You have fallen behind on your mortgage payments
  • You are facing foreclosure

Counselors will discuss the following steps for individual clients:

  • Gather basic information from client about housing needs or problems.
  • Identify resources within the counseling agency, the community, or HUD that might help meet the need or resolve the problem.
  • Design a counseling action plan for the client (loan modification, repayment plan, forbearance, short sale, deed in lieu, or refinance)
  • Explain the action plan to the client, including the actions the client must take.

Mortgage Foreclosure Scams

Some of the fastest growing frauds sweeping the nation are foreclosure rescue scams. If you believe you have been a victim of a mortgage foreclosure scam, please contact us immediately for assistance.

Protect yourself by following these suggestions:

  • Do not sign a contract under duress and do not sign a document that you do not understand. Always request to take time to review any documents at your own pace.
  • Do not enter into oral agreements. Get any offers in writing and ask your housing counselor to review offers.
  • Do not make payments to anyone except your mortgage company.
  • Do not sign a quit claim deed without consulting your attorney or housing counselor.
  • Do not accept an offer from somebody who wants to make good on your missed payments and take the house off your hands in exchange for documents that assign them the surplus from the foreclosure sale.

Alternatives to Foreclosure

Loan Modification: A written agreement that permanently changes one or more of the original terms of the loan (rate, payment amount, maturity date, or amount of the unpaid principal balance).

Repayment Plan: Borrower agrees to cure the delinquency by adding an additional amount to their monthly mortgage payment until the loan becomes current.

Forbearance Plan: An agreement to suspend or reduce normal monthly payments for a fixed period of time.

Short Sale: A sale of the property where the homeowner does not have enough equity to pay off all the liens on the property and the lender(s) has agreed to accept the net proceeds of the sale to satisfy the lien.

Deed in Lieu: The homeowner transfers the title of the home to the lender in lieu of a foreclosure sale. Typically requires the homeowner to attempt a sale of the property first.

Tips for Avoiding Foreclosure

Though your situation may seem hopeless, help is available. Take the first step today by contacting a HUD-approved housing counselor at Fair Housing Advocates. If you ignore the problem, you may lose your home to foreclosure.

What should you do?
  • Do not ignore the problem.
  • Contact your lender as soon as you recognize you have a problem.
  • Contact a HUD-approved housing counselor.
  • Avoid foreclosure prevention companies and rescue scams. Do not pay fees for help.
  • Open and respond to all mail from your lender.
  • Know your mortgage rights.
  • Understand foreclosure prevention options.
  • Discuss foreclosure prevention options with a HUD-approved housing counselor.
  • Prioritize your spending.
  • Find ways to generate additional revenue.

Resources

Questions? Need help?