Volunteering for the Foreclosure Rescue Event in San Jose, California last week was quite informative. There are so many services available that I knew nothing about when we were struggling through foreclosure and then afterward while we were staying in a hotel. Of course you have to actively seek them out. You can’t live in denial the whole way through thinking it won’t happen to you like I did.
In the city of San Jose they have opened a “Foreclosure Help Center” that is open Monday – Friday, it’s free, and you can take your loan documents, paycheck stubs, and a list of your expenses, and get help on what to do in your particular situation. They’ll go over all your paperwork with you and help you decide if you have a chance at a loan modification, if there are any other options open to you, or if your house is definitely destined for the foreclosure sale, what to do next.
In Santa Clara, where I just moved to, in a section of the yellow pages there is a whole list of services provided by the city, etc. for people who need help. There are “clothes closets” everywhere to get jackets, etc. for this coming winter. There are many places that give groceries at least a couple of times a month, and then there are places that give financial help and help for finding low income housing.
Going through the foreclosure process is stressful enough. When you’re worried about feeding and clothing your family besides, it’s even more hopeless. Don’t try to go it alone if you don’t have to. Most of us have donated to these charities either through our tax dollars or giving items. Now if you need them, you should go ahead and get the help from them that you can.
The housing crisis still rages on. In my local paper alone there are pages and pages of new foreclosure sale notices. More and more people are getting kicked to the curb by their lenders or by the landlords who rented to them. Seek help as soon as possible. Check your local yellowpages, the real estate section of your newspaper, ask where you can get help. Churches are another source and Catholic Charities are quite well known for the work they do.
There’s help out there. Just “seek and ye shall find”. Of course, as always if I can answer any questions or help in any way feel free to leave a comment below or email me directly. If you have any good sources for help, please feel free to share them, but NO SPAM.
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We have been through both foreclosure and bankruptcy due to us having lost our business. Now we are renting a small apartment. It is so hard especially since we have children and the friends all live in houses. It breaks my heart. I cannot find a job and sometimes it feels like the nightmare will never end. There must be a lot of people in the same boat, but nobody wants to admit it for sure. I keep on hoping that one day we will own a home and desperately try to keep that hope alive in my heart. I only hope it is not a fools dream. Besides that next year my husband will most likely be deployed with his reserve unit to Afghanistan most likely. I am sorry for the long and whiny post. I really needed to vent. Thank you
Kitty- Thank you so much for sharing. I can’t even imagine what you’re going through as far as having to face the possibility of your husband having to leave on top of everything else. One thing I do know about though is bankruptcy, foreclosure, and what it does to your self-esteem. You have come to the right place for a little ray of hope, My Dear. LOL.
I too, after being in a big house for 17 yrs. am now in a duplex. It does take some getting used to. The one thing great about it is that it seems like the rent here is very small compared to the house payment that daunted me every month. (last time my loan jumped it jumped to $4400. per month vs. $1800. per month here). For months I watched homeless people pushing shopping carts down the street while we were in a motel room, thanking God that wasn’t us. Unfortunately it also completely broke us to be there. BUT, here we are, you in your small apartment, me in my duplex, and we’re ok. Not only that, but I got to thinking about it and the rent seems reasonably enough, that even when the money is flowing, I think I would like to stay here, build a savings account, and be able to invest to build on my money vs. just giving it all to a heartless bank. If nothing else, you know you are a lot wiser this time around. Now you’ve been through it all, learned from your mistakes (at least we hope we have) and we can rebuild.
To tell you the truth, I actually preferred when I lived in an apartment and people actually talked to each other or had coffee together. I knew my neighbors, but I wouldn’t say I was “friends” with more than probably 1 of them. You sound young enough to have plenty of time ahead of you. Take advantage of all the service has to offer, which isn’t enough if your husband goes to Afghanistan, but whatever it is, use it. Don’t lose hope for the future. They may have taken a house away from you, but that’s all. You still have you and that’s the biggest, most important asset anyone has. There’s an old saying, I’m not sure if it’s from the Bible or from a very forlorn author somewhere, but it goes “This too shall pass”. It helps me a lot. Maybe it will help you too.
Feel free to stop by anytime, and if I can answer any real estate questions for you, or you would just like to talk about your experience, I’d be glad to read your story. Tell your husband “Thank You” for everything.
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