Tips to Avoid Foreclosure

If you are unable to make your mortgage payment, you may have 2 or 3 months before the bank starts the foreclosure process. They will contact you by phone and mail to try to collect the past due balance. If they are not able to contact you, this tends to speed up their process.

If you will talk with the bank, many times you can work out a new payment plan. These days, banks are more willing to add the past due amounts on to the loan balance, reduce the interest rate, extend the length of the loan or consider other ways to help you keep your home. The good news is that banks do not want to take back houses. This creates more work and expenses for the bank to maintain the house.

1 - communicate with the bank as soon as you realize you won't be able to stay current on your mortgage payments.

2 - do what you say you'll do. If you ask them to consider a loan modification, make sure you will be able to make the payments if they accept your offer.

3 - if you see that you can't afford the house, see if the bank is willing to consider a short sale. This will keep you from going in to foreclosure and usually banks are willing to accept less sice it is very expensive for banks to foreclose.

4 - don't pay anyone for help to avoid foreclosure. You can negotiate with the bank on your own or contact a Realtor who is familiar with short sales and loan modification negotiations.

5 - the negotiators at banks have many files they are working on. Make sure you have all the required forms to them at one time. Otherwise, you may get put on the bottom of the stack since other files are complete and waiting for their approval.

RE/MAX Associates Athens - Sold On A Cure

Jennifer Westmoreland, Evie Brassie, Carol Bitner and Jerri Stracener -- Sold On A Cure - RE/MAX Associates Athens

We will walk 60 miles at the Breast Cancer 3-Day over the weekend of October 24-26. Each of us must raise a minimum of $2,200 in order to walk. As a team, we've raised over $10,000 so far -- and have a goal to raise $12,000 by October 24.

The walk starts in Alpharetta and ends at the World Congress Center in downtown Atlanta. I've been told that we will spend 2 nights somewhere around Duluth, but that's not official yet.

The training has been hard. I walk 4 days a week - Tuesday and Thursdays are short days (only 5 and 6 miles each day) but the weekends are the long days. The longest distance I've walked was 18 on Saturday and 15 on Sunday. That was a couple of weeks ago. I'll be walking 18 again this Saturday but only 8 on Sunday.

Annabell has walked every day with me. We met a new friend, Kim Knotts, who will be walking in the Breast Cancer 3-Day in San Diego in November. We walk together on the weekends.

If you would like to make a donation on my behalf, please click here. Any amount is greatly appreciated.

Athens GA - How to avoid foreclosure

If you're past due on your mortgage payments and won't be able to catch up, here are some options that may help. Typically, you need to be 3 payments past due before you can start the process to get help from the lender.

1. Call the lender and see if they are willing to work out a new payment plan. Many times they will forgive the past due amount completely or add it to the existing balance of the loan. Either way, it reduces the amount you have to pay now. Sometimes, the lender will reduce your interest rate, extend your finance period or reduce the balance on the loan.

2. If you can't get a solution that you can work with, you may need to sell the house. Unfortunately, with the recent housing situation, many homeowners are finding that they owe more than the house will sell for. If that's your situation, the lender may be willing to accept less than the balance on the loan as full payment. This is called a short sale. The bad news is -- they won't tell you that they will accept a short sale until you have a contract to present showing that a buyer is willing to buy the house.

3. If you need to get a short sale approved, the lender will require information from you, including 2 years tax returns, current pay stub, a financial statement showing your current debts and income and a letter explaining why you are not able to continue to pay your monthly payments.

It can be very difficult to get answers from the large mortgage companies. They have so many employees and each time you call, you get a different person. Even when you are assigned to a specialist to handle the "work out", you can't call them. And it can take several weeks to get any answers.

We have been working with several mortgage companies over the past few months as well as a company that is retained by the mortgage companies to work out past due loans. As a result, we have the experience to help you get the best solution for your situation. There is no charge to you for this service. If we do list your home for sale, the real estate commission will be included in offer to the bank. A short sale will allow you to avoid a foreclosure on your credit.

If you have any questions about the process, please contact us. We will help figure out the best options for you. Jerri 706-296-4395 or e-mail: jerri@movingtoathens.com

Countdown to Kickoff

The third annual Countdown to Kickoff! charity event is in two weeks at the UGA practice fields.

Former UGA players Matt and Jon Stinchcomb and David Greene are hosting the event. Fans will be able to get pictures, autographs and run drills with current and former UGA and NFL players.

This fundraiser will be held on July 18 and 19th and is to benefit the following:

Georgia Transplant Foundation, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, The Children’s Tumor Foundation, and UGA’s Pediatric Exercise Motor Development Clinic

For more information, click here

AthFest

What is AthFest?AthFest is a non-profit annual music and arts festival in downtown Athens, Georgia that largely showcases the Athens area musical and artistic community. Much of AthFest is free while wristbands or cover charges are required for certain events. AthFest's mission is to educate citizens and visitors about music and arts in general, and about Athens music and arts in particular.

General 2008 Schedule Wed., June 18
R.E.M.-signed Gretsch guitar auction begins on eBay
RockDocs Films (4:15 / 7 / 10:30 p.m.)

Fri., June 20
Athens Music History Bus Tour (11 a.m.)
RockDocs Films (4:30 / 7:30 / 9:45 p.m.)
Artisan Market (5-10 p.m.)
Outdoor Stages (5-10 p.m.)
Club Crawl (8 p.m. - 2:30 a.m.)
The Fantasticks (8 p.m.)
TeenScreen FilmFest (8:30 p.m.) & Concert (10 p.m.)

Sat., June 21
Athens Music History Bus Tour (11 a.m.)
Artisan Market (Noon-10 p.m.)
KidsFest (10:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.) - change!
Outdoor Stages (10:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.)
Wired Dance Music Festival (2:30 p.m. - 2:00 a.m.)
RockDocs Films (4:30 / 7:30 / 9:45 p.m.)
Club Crawl (8 p.m. - 2:30 a.m.)
The Fantasticks (8 p.m.)

Sun., June 22
Athens Music History Bus Tour (11 a.m.)
Outdoor Stages (Noon - 8 p.m.)
Artist Market (Noon-8 p.m.)
KidsFest (11 a.m. - 5 p.m.) - change!
The Fantasticks (2 p.m.)
RockDocs Films (4:30 / 7:30 / 9:45 p.m.)