On the news this morning, I saw that "foreclosures were up 75% from December 2006 to December 2007." 1 out of every 100 homes are going into foreclosure, with California and Florida hit the hardest. Knowing that this amount of people are entering into the foreclosure process, I felt that providing a few helpful tips on how to prevent a foreclosure was imperative.

For those of you who know me, this one's for you: I am aware that it's not all roses and sunshine in the housing market ('heck', I WORK in it every day), I don't completely have my head in the sand! However, I am a proactive person that looks for solutions. . . so let's get to it!!

If you're starting to miss payments, this is your big neon sign, your red flag, your 2x4 in the head. Pay Attention. This is also an OPPORTUNITY. What do you think the first mistake is? You got it. Homeowners stop answering the phone, returning phone calls or opening the letters from the lender. This is the opposite of what you should be doing. You need to ACT.

Take Action. There are several things you CAN do. Foreclosure begins once you miss three payments. You may have from 3 to 18 months before you actually have to get out of the house, depending on what state you live in. Therefore, you have some options. And, that does NOT include trashing the house. I just don't understand what people are thinking they will gain by doing this. ??

First of all, if you have a variable rate loan and your interest rate is going up and you can't afford the payments, which will get higher each time you miss a payment, call the lender. You heard me right. Reach out to them! Ask for a reduced and/or fixed rate. Realize that the bank loses an average of $59,000 for each foreclosure. Therefore, they might just be willing to negotiate a lower rate with you...especially if you have always been a good paying client until the rate started to increase!

Negotiate a short sale. A short sale is when you owe more than the property is worth. The declining market had something to do with this, but let's face facts. Some of you took out home equity lines of credit for vacations and toys. (It's true. You know who you are.) You will get a bad credit rating still, but you will only show the late payments while the loan is reported as "satisfied".

Apply for an FHA loan. It is a short term, secondary loan that buys you time. You can get up to 12 months of payments. You will have to pay them back, but it buys you more time.

Rent your house . Sometimes, you can rent your home out and move into a less expensive housing situation. Even while your home is in foreclosure, you may be able to do this. If you can get enough rent to cover the mortgage payment and find another alternative for yourself that you can afford, this could be an ideal situation.

Deed in lieu of foreclosure is another option. This is when you give the deed to the lender. You may even able to stay in the house for awhile.

I hate recommending this, but it is a last ditch option. File for bankruptcy. It doubles the time you can spend in your home, sometimes up to four years. Yes, you will have very bad credit. But, you will be able to stay in the house. When you file for personal bankruptcy, you actually keep your credit cards as long as you're making the monthly payments!

If you're starting to miss payments, don't put your head in the sand. Start to look at your options. There may even be 2 or 3 of the solutions listed here that you can take advantage of to prevent you from entering foreclosure and save your credit.