Assessing your situation

You have certain responsibilities as a homeowner – including paying your mortgage and maintaining your home. To succeed, it’s important that you always have a pulse on your financial well-being.

To quickly assess your financial situation, ask yourself:

• Can you afford routine home maintenance, such as servicing your air conditioning and fixing a broken window?
• Are you able to pay more than the minimum amount due on your credit cards?
• Would you still be able to pay your mortgage if you faced a temporary reduction in pay?

If you answered “no” to any of the above, you may be at risk of falling behind on your mortgage payments which, if not addressed with your loan servicer (the company listed on your mortgage statement), can lead to a foreclosure – the results of which can be emotionally and financially devastating.

What is a foreclosure and what does it mean?

Foreclosure is a legal process by which the mortgage company takes ownership of the property to pay off the mortgage because the loan is in default. The process of foreclosure is different in every state – in some, foreclosure can happen in as little as a month; in others, the process could take longer. In either case, the results can be devastating to your credit, cause distress in your life and make it far more difficult and expensive to get a mortgage in the future.

Financial hardships

Life is full of unexpected challenges and financial setbacks are among them. Typically resulting from unemployment, divorce, illness or a natural disaster, they can make it difficult to pay your mortgage in a timely manner.

Whether you’re facing a short-term hardship that you expect to resolve within 12 months or a long-term hardship that extends beyond a year, your loan servicer may be able to help get you back on track.

You’ll need to be open and honest with them. Different situations require different solutions, and they need a clear picture of your financial situation to help you.