Of course! There will almost always be options for you to take in a foreclosure. Regardless if the foreclosure process started or not, discussing your alternatives with a foreclosure defense lawyer is the best way to maintain some sort of control over your situation. As a counselor at law, Attorney Glenn F. Russell, Jr. personally advises that you take legal action as soon as possible, which could greatly increase your range of alternative actions to resolve your circumstances. Whatever it takes, you can trust that, by hiring a trial attorney from our firm, your legal representative can utilize whatever resources, time, or alternatives necessary to determine the best course of action for your personal and unique circumstances.

It doesn't happen all the time, but if you have exhausted all of your legal alternatives and feel as though a foreclosure or short sale is the last resort, you need to know what to expect.

No foreclosure sale is exactly the same, but for the most part, the foreclosure sale process typically involves the following:

• Lenders must first send a notice of a foreclosure to the homeowner. The notice must be sent at least 14 days prior to the foreclosure sale date.
• A foreclosure sale will take place at the date, time, and place specified in the foreclosure notice.
• The foreclosure sale will be conducted by a licensed auctioneer. The auctioneer will read various legal notices, descriptions, and documents pertaining to the property.
• The auctioneer will take bids on the property, take deposit checks, and accept the highest bid to close the foreclosure property sale.
• Parties - including the mortgagor, the purchaser, and the auctioneer - will draft a foreclosure deed, which must be recorded and filed at the Registry of Deeds.
• A grace period - typically 30 days - will be given to allow the purchaser to line up financing.
• A closing will take place, and the new owner will formally take title to the foreclosed property.

All monies paid by the new purchaser will go toward paying real estate taxes, owed mortgages, and payments to creditors or other debts owed on the property. If no one at the foreclosure sale is able to bid a high enough amount to cover the debt of the property, then the balanced owed - called a deficiency - would then be the liability of the old owner.

Perhaps one of the greatest obstacles individuals encounter during the foreclosure process is learning who to trust and who to avoid. Due to the nature of the foreclosure process, descriptions of any homes being foreclosed may be published and accessible as public information. It is a sad truth that there are fraudulent companies that prey on public lists of foreclosing homes and attempt to take advantage of a people's financial vulnerability.

You may be contacted by mortgage brokers, mortgage negotiators, or mortgage holders. You may also be contacted by a Massachusetts bankruptcy attorney or a private financier who offers to help you sort out your finances. These parties may be dependable sources of legal and helpful advice during your foreclosure.

Unfortunately, there are frauds and scam artists who will try to take your home or your money without providing any sort of service. A general word of advice we give to clients to follow is: If a deal sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Avoid scams with the help of a qualified attorney from our firm!