We’ve all heard the reports. Americans are losing their homes in record numbers, and the housing crisis seems unlikely to subside anytime soon. Foreclosures affect all kinds of people and all kinds of properties. Many people faced with foreclosure feel helpless and resigned to giving up their homes without even trying to save them. The good news is that with the right advice, homeowners can take control of the situation, avoid foreclosure proceedings, and even protect their credit. Lloyd Segal, mortgage banker, attorney, and real estate investor has spent the last twenty-five years helping homeowners save their houses. In Stop Foreclosure Now, he shows readers how to: develop a plan to delay or stop foreclosure • understand the documents involved • negotiate with their lender • use the courts to stop foreclosure and bankruptcy • arrange to refinance their property • sell their property quickly • use military status to stop foreclosure • understand foreclosure laws in all 50 states Timely and indispensable, this guide will help anyone survive the housing crisis and preserve their most important investment.

The crucial information you need to secure a reliable loan modification and save your home Behind on your mortgage payments? Worried about losing your home? Don't panic. Loan Modification For Dummies gives you the reliable, authoritative, easy-to-understand guidance you need to apply for and secure a loan modification that lowers your monthly house payment and keeps you in your home. This practical, plain-English guide leads you step by step through the loan modification process, from contacting your lender to applying for a loan modification, evaluating the lender's initial offer, and negotiating a modification that lowers your monthly payment while helping you catch up on any past-due amounts. You'll learn how to communicate with your bank or loan servicer, recognize and avoid loan-modification scams, and find a knowledgeable loan modification specialist, if you choose not to do it yourself. Advice on determining whether you're likely to qualify for your lender's loan modification program Guidance on preparing and submitting a loan modification application that improves your chances of success Helps you figure out a monthly payment you really can afford Tips on modifying your loan even when you owe more than your home's current market value Negotiation advice for securing the best possible terms and lowest monthly payment Resources for contacting your lender, obtaining free or affordable third-party assistance, and getting government agencies on your side Read Loan Modification For Dummies and start saving your home today.

In the depths of the Great Depression, when foreclosure rates skyrocketed across the United States, more than two dozen states passed mortgage-extension or -adjustment laws to help farmers and homeowners keep their properties. One such statute in Minnesota led to the most important property law case of its time and still casts a long shadow upon constitutional debates and our own era's severe economic downturn. Fighting Foreclosure marks the first book-length study of the landmark 1934 Supreme Court decision in Home Building and Loan Association v. Blaisdell, which, by a 5-4 vote, upheld the Minnesota Mortgage Moratorium Act. On the one hand, Blaisdell validated efforts by states to offer legislative relief to citizens struggling to keep their farms and homes. On the other, it caused an outcry among banking interests and conservative legal theorists, who argued that these laws violated the Contract Clause of the Constitution and interfered with our free market system. In his majority opinion, Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes argued that the reasonable and limited nature of the law and the unusual severity of the emergency it addressed placed it firmly within the "police powers" of the states to protect the health and safety of the people. In a strongly worded dissent, Justice George Sutherland argued for a consistent and strict interpretation of the Contract Clause regardless of economic exigency. John Fliter and Derek Hoff provide a concise history and analysis of not only this landmark case and the reasoning behind its sharply divided decision but also of the entire history of the Contract Clause. They trace closely the agricultural crisis, political pressures, and farmer-protest movement that produced the Minnesota law. And their study contributes to scholarly debate about the origins of the Constitutional Revolution of 1937, by which the Supreme Court accepted the New Deal, as well as to public debates about constitutional interpretation and the role that government should play in providing relief to distressed citizens. In the midst of our nation's ongoing suffering from massive foreclosures and bankruptcies, Fighting Foreclosure also offers a potent reminder that the High Court's decisions often revolve around lives at risk as much as abstract legal debates.

A practical guide that helps you thoroughly research properties, so you know what you’re getting into before you buy or bid on a property With the housing bubble of recent years bursting and interest rates on the rise, there has been an upsurge in the number of foreclosures across the country, creating many opportunities for profit. But investing in real estate foreclosures can be a tough job, especially when a negative stigma is attached. How do you make money while preserving your morals and trust? Foreclosure Investing For Dummies shows you how to invest in foreclosures ethically without being accused of stealing homes from “little old ladies.” When you approach the process in a fair-minded way, presenting homeowners with various options and offering a reasonable price for their home, you can walk away with your integrity intact—and potentially a reasonable profit, too. This step-by-step guide helps you research property, find the best opportunities, purchase foreclosures, and avoid misleading distressed homeowners. If you’re committed to success, dedicated to mutually beneficial solutions, can treat foreclosure investing as business, and you can talk to people, this book is for you, but it doesn’t promise quick profits through minimal work. This book will provide you with invaluable information to become a successful investor, including how to: Identify opportunities and understand risks Obtain information, tools, support, and resources Locate properties prior to foreclosure Assist homeowners through the foreclosure process Acquire properties below market value prior to the auction Buy property at an auction, from lending institutions, and government agencies Repair, renovate, and sell or lease property A hands-on guide with tips and strategies for refinancing your property and maximizing your profits, this book also provides advice on how to assist homeowners, have them work with you, and avoid common mistakes. It even contains an appendix that covers foreclosure rules and regulations. It’s time to go out and make the most of foreclosure investing, and with Foreclosure Investing For Dummies by your side, your hard work and devotion will bring tons of success!

Welcome to the world of buying foreclosed homes at auction--a real estate strategy that lets you remove the middleman, decrease your competition, and buy at a discount. Bidding for properties on the courthouse steps while competing in real time with other investors is a thrilling experience. There's nothing like it in the world of real estate, but there's also a lot to learn. With dozens of insider auction secrets that are proven to help maximize returns, Bidding to Buy will show you the skills you need to successfully bid at auction, then turn a healthy profit on your investment. Successfully buying foreclosures isn't a matter of luck, and it isn't for insiders only. However, it does require a process--one that can be repeated for optimal returns. In this book, you'll find a full blueprint of the foreclosure process, including the repeatable five-step method that the authors have used to buy thousands of properties. Discover a new kind of real estate investment and uncover profits on your local courthouse steps! Inside, you'll learn how to: Find properties before they are broadly exposed to the market Understand the entire foreclosure process and how it differs from state to state Conduct complete title research and develop an eye for red flags Navigate the potential risks and pitfalls behind a live auction Access property listings and early posting data Build an accurate financial analysis on any available property Acquire creative and alternative financing methods, including no-cash solutions Complete critical post-auction steps, such as evicting tenants