Greater than 30% of homeowners before the housing slump are foreclosure casualties now and experts predict that that figure will worsen beyond 50% over the next two years. Apart from those which were uncontested, many affected homeowners had fought and lost. If only they had the benefit of the rescue programs that are in place nowadays, a great many of them would have come through.

Having that said, facing foreclosure now isn’t any easier than at any time before. When foreclosure looms as a result of mortgage payment default, more than just the property is at stake. It’s therefore a matter to be attended to with utmost diligence and deliberation. The foremost question is always whether to resist or submit to it. Either way, how you go about it will have a significant impact on how you come out of it.

It rarely comes bigger than that, the decision must be made only after a thorough examination of all the options available to help you tackle the situation. They include: refinancing, loss mitigation and other waiver and relief measures. On top of it, it pays to make note of regulatory reforms in the pipeline as if there ever was a good time to be hit with foreclosure threat, this is it.

As soon as it is decided on which direction to go, the homeowner must move swiftly especially if the choice is to confront and counter the foreclosure. A day of inaction in the fight to stop a foreclosure is a day lost into thin air but don?t overreact and jump the gun instead. The two basic approaches to avert foreclosure are DIY (do-it-yourself) or third-party specialists. DIY is enriching but testing while specialists is convenient but cost money.

It’s quite common for affected homeowners to adopt a mixture of both approaches. In any case, it should be fundamentally along the line of the following steps: -The homeowner occupies the central role and calls the shots. -Take precautions against scams and predatory lenders. -Explore all available options even if chances of eligibility appear remote. -Remain targeted and single-minded.

This is undoubtedly a mammoth task but the internet and other agencies are well-stocked with information resource. Numerous guides and handbooks on how to stop foreclosure have also mushroomed all over the shop.

We’re far from out of the woods but there are signs of things going on the mend. Both consumer confidence (Conference Board, June 2008) and home prices (S&P/Case-Shiller, May 2008) registered month-on-month improvement in their respective latest reports. Topping it off, the Housing and Economic Recovery Act 2008 has been passed. It will help 400,000 homeowners avert foreclosure with a $3.9 billion bill and $300 billion in federal guarantees.