Foreclosure Prevention

Are you having trouble keeping up with your mortgage payments? Have you received a notice from your lender asking you to contact them? This is becoming an increasingly regular occurrence in Michigan and there is help available. You may qualify for one of many programs designed to keep Michiganders in their homes.

The Greater Lansing Housing Coalition offers no-cost counseling that can help you asses your situation and decide on your next step. Please contact us today to receive confidential help from a MSHDA certified counselor who can help you chart a course to keeping your home.

Contact us at 517-372-5980 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Below is a list of HUD approved tips to help you get started if you are having trouble meeting your mortgage obligations:

1. Don't ignore the problem.

The further behind you become, the harder it will be to reinstate your loan and the more likely that you will lose your house.

2. Contact your lender as soon as you realize that you have a problem.

Lenders do not want your house. They have options to help borrowers through difficult financial times.

3. Open and respond to all mail from your lender.

The first notices you receive will offer good information about foreclosure prevention options that can help you weather financial problems. Later mail may include important notices of pending legal action. Your failure to open the mail will not be an excuse in foreclosure court.

4. Know your mortgage rights.

Find your loan documents and read them so you know what your lender may do if you can't make your payments. Learn about the foreclosure laws and time-frames in your state (as every state is different) by contacting the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.

5. Understand foreclosure prevention options.

Valuable information about foreclosure prevention (also called loss mitigation) options can be found on the MSHDA website (click here) and by contacting a foreclosure counselor here at the Greater Lansing Housing Coalition.

6. Contact a MHSDA-approved housing counselor. (a no-cost service provided by the GLHC)

There are many programs set-up to help homeowners in need. You may qualify for assistance and your GLHC counselor will work with you and your lender to try to reach a solution that is equitable for both parties and allow you to stay in your home.

7. Prioritize your spending.

After healthcare, keeping your house should be your first priority. Review your finances and see where you can cut spending in order to make your mortgage payment. Look for optional expenses--cable TV, memberships, entertainment--that you can eliminate. Delay payments on credit cards and other "unsecured" debt until you have paid your mortgage.

8. Use your assets.

Do you have assets--a second car, jewelry, a whole life insurance policy--that you can sell for cash to help reinstate your loan? Can anyone in your household get an extra job to bring in additional income? Even if these efforts don't significantly increase your available cash or your income, they demonstrate to your lender that you are willing to make sacrifices to keep your home.

9. Avoid foreclosure prevention companies.

You don't need to pay fees for foreclosure prevention help--use that money to pay the mortgage instead. Many for-profit companies will contact you promising to negotiate with your lender. While these may be legitimate businesses, they will charge you a hefty fee (often two or three month's mortgage payment) for information and services your lender or your GLHC foreclosure counselor will provide at no cost.

10. Don't lose your house to foreclosure recovery scams!

If any firm claims they can stop your foreclosure immediately and if you sign a document appointing them to act on your behalf, you may well be signing over the title to your property and becoming a renter in your own home! Never sign a legal document without reading and understanding all the terms and getting professional advice from an attorney, a trusted real estate professional or your GLHC counselor.