During the first couple weeks of this new year I’ve had the opportunity to visit with several homeowners for whom their home mortgage has become a significant financial hardship. The reasons for the hardship may vary with each homeowner, but are usually related to either job loss/changes or significant mortgage payment adjustments.

A common element that I keep running into is that many homeowners are not aware of all the options available that might allow them to keep their home or, if necessary, move on with the mortgage off their back, while minimizing damage to their credit.

Often the overall circumstances suggest that cutting losses and moving is the best course of action. In this instance, a short sale is by far the best option to take. However, for those homeowners who want to explore every option that might allow them to keep their home, other potentially viable alternatives are available, including forbearance and loan modification.

We are here to consult with you and give you honest answers. If you desire to stay in your home, we will help you explore all possible options to help you do that. Should this not be a viable alternative, we will guide you through the difficult process of working with your lender to short sale your home and get you out from under the mortgage debt. At all costs our goal is to help you avoid the severe consequences of foreclosure. There are several videos on our website that can give you further information about all your options.

One final important thing to mention is in regard to the massive relief effort now going on in Haiti. Later on today we should have direct links posted on HomesForABetterWorld.org to a handful of legitimate organizations working in Haiti on the front lines. Unfortunately there are reports of scam artists taking advantage of this tragedy, and we wanted to provide you direct access to organizations you can trust. Please consider responding to this overwhelming need in Haiti with your financial support and your prayers.