1. Contact your lender first as soon as you get concerned about paying your mortgage.

2. Determine your options by speaking to your lender’s loss mitigation department.

3. Be patient but persistent with your lender, because getting a loan modification takes time.

4. Call the Homeowner’s HOPE Hotline at 1-888-995-HOPE. Trained counselors are available 24 hours a day to provide assistance in multiple languages.

5. Connect with a local HUD-approved counseling agency for free by calling 1-888-995-HOPE or visiting www.LoanScamAlert.org.

6. Beware of loan modification scams. Some companies and individuals are out to take advantage of homeowners seeking loan modifications.

7. Avoid anyone who asks for a fee prior to providing any loan modification service, including companies, individuals and even some lawyers.

8. Avoid anyone who guarantees to get your loan modified or stop a foreclosure, because nobody has the power to make this promise.

9. Avoid companies that tell you to stop paying your mortgage and to pay them instead. This is a sure sign of a loan modification scam.

10. Report loan modification or foreclosure scams at any time by visiting www.LoanScamAlert.org or calling 1-888-995-HOPE (4673).

About the Loan Modification Scam Alert Campaign
Loan modification scams are proliferating at a rapid pace—costing unsuspecting homeowners thousands of dollars and often their homes. To help combat this issue, Congress asked NeighborWorks America® to launch a national public education campaign in 2009. Today, the Loan Modification Scam Alert campaign empowers homeowners to protect themselves against loan modification scams, find trusted help and report illegal activity to authorities. For more information about the campaign, visit www.LoanScamAlert.org.

About NeighborWorks® America
NeighborWorks® America creates opportunities for people to improve their lives and strengthen their communities by providing access to homeownership and to safe and affordable rental housing. Since 1991, we have assisted nearly 1.2 million low- to moderate-income families with their housing needs. Much of our success is achieved through our support of the NeighborWorks network—more than 230 community development organizations working in more than 4,400 urban, suburban and rural communities in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. In the last five years, NeighborWorks organizations have generated more than $15 billion in reinvestment in these communities. NeighborWorks® America is the nation’s leading trainer of community development and affordable housing professionals.

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This article was referenced from Yahoo News.

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