Prevent Foreclosures

The family residence is the backbone of the American economy, the most valuable and enduring asset for those who have achieved a financial foothold. Yet today record numbers of households confront foreclosure. In the next year it is estimated that over two million Americans will lose their homes and almost two billion dollars of wealth will disappear in the process. How did the traditional "American Dream" morph into a nightmare for so many?

Real estate attorney and educator Shari B. Olefson, a recognized expert in the current mortgage crisis and its effects on homeowners, explains how America slipped to the edge of this dangerous stagnation-recession precipice. In plain language that is easily understandable to the average person, she clarifies legal and financial terminology and describes how our country's mortgage system really works. Utilizing real-life lender and borrower interviews, she exposes its intrinsic flaws and often discriminatory practices, from the mortgage application process to the securitization of bundled mortgages by large investment firms. She also provides evidence to show the government's and Wall Street's roles in both causing and solving the problem.

Above all, Olefson offers expert tips, tools, and resources to help you:

• Choose a mortgage professional and understand what's motivating him or her

• Decide what mortgage product fits best and when to refinance

• Get the best fees, interest rate, and service

• Create your own solutions for navigating the credit crunch

• Know what to do when you can't afford your mortgage

• Protect your home if you are at risk of foreclosure

• Understand how to proceed if you are already in foreclosure

• Capitalize on emerging opportunities and avoid the scams and mortgage fraud

• Prepare for coming changes

Foreclosure Nation demystifies the real estate bubble and the subprime mortgage crises that followed. With bold, clear visuals like inventory, absorption, and price trend graphs, Olefson pinpoints exactly when and why experts are predicting a recovery. She also cites statistics that strongly suggest the number of foreclosures will surge in the fall of 2008 and again in 2009, with increased reverberations felt throughout the US and global economies. Foreclosure Nation will prove indispensable to explaining what is happening and guiding readers through.

Whether you are planning on buying your first home, struggling to meet your current mortgage payments, facing foreclosure, or wondering how your investments will be affected, this comprehensive book will assuage the fear of the unknown, empowering you to make wise choices and protect your most valuable assets.

About the Author
Shari B. Olefson, JD, LLM (Fort Lauderdale, FL), is a partner and the head of her office's real estate department at a national law firm.

If you are facing foreclosure or you know what you will face foreclosure in the near future, you need to fight back. Foreclosure is a big problem nowadays with many people losing their jobs and finding it hard to make mortgage payments. Even though the government has come up with several plans to help the mortgage and housing industry, a lot of homeowners are not finding the help they deserve and need. They cannot wait for help to come, they need to know what they can do - right now! This book called Fight Foreclosure!: How to Cope with a Mortgage You Can't Pay, Negotiate with Your Bank, and Save Your Home will help homeowners prevent foreclosure, save their homes and save their credit too.

Fight Foreclosure! offers a practical, step-by-step system for taking action to prevent foreclosure on your home before it's too late.

If you're having trouble keeping up with your payments, the worst thing you can do is nothing. This book explores:

• all your options,
• weighs the pros and cons of each, and
• explains the pre-foreclosure process in detail.

Plus, it points out the too-good-to-be-true credit repair offers you should avoid and gives you real, practical alternatives that help you help yourself before it's too late.
From the Back Cover

FIGHT BACK!

With a Take-Charge Strategy for At-Risk Homeowners

Millions of homeowners are at risk of losing their homes. Are you one of them? If so, you need this practical, step-by-step guide to help you take action before it's too late.

In Fight Foreclosure!, David Petrovich offers honest advice on all of your options, weighs the pros and cons of each, and shares smart, practical strategies for lowering your payments and keeping your home. He points out the too-good-to-be-true foreclosure rescue offers you should avoid, and offers real alternatives that work—now!

Petrovich is a mortgage banking insider who understands the loan servicing industry inside and out. And he understands the pressure you're under. Don't worry! You're not alone. Inside, you'll find the calm, professional advice you need to manage your financial crisis, including topics such as:

• The foreclosure time-clock—why acting early is critical
• Handling collection calls
• Cutting expenses and rebuilding your budget
• Negotiating with your lender
• Utilizing all your legal defenses
• Using bankruptcy to save your home
• Selling your home to avoid foreclosure while saving your credit
• Finding legitimate help and avoiding rescue scams