The average foreclosure rate nationwide has now topped 30%, with many in the pessimistic camp of the trade predicting that it will continue to get worse before getting better. Behind this statistic is the fact that the majority of these foreclosures could have been averted. With the right mindset and guidance, affected homeowners actually have the upper hand in negotiating their way through their respective foreclosures.

It is nevertheless a daunting task to stop a foreclosure in the wake of the housing market instability and credit squeeze. That is why the whole exercise must start with a concerted evaluation of the entire financial situation of the threatened homeowner. It may even turn out to be more desirable to forgo the subject property. For or against foreclosure, it is critical that you come out of it in the best possible terms as it will have undeniable bearing on your financial standing thereon.

This is a big decision and should never be rushed into although a foreclosure situation is really always a pressing one. More and more options and breaks are brought to the table these days, both by the regulatory authorities and lending institutions and the affected homeowner would do well to capitalize on them. Examples of potentially feasible avenues are refinancing, partial claim, forbearance, loan modification, disaster assistance, deed in lieu, pre-foreclosure and short sale.

Once the decision to stop a foreclosure is taken, you can’t get into action swift enough. This is because it becomes a race against time with immediate effect but take heed not to overreact into a panic. There are basically two ways of handling it, namely engaging a turnkey third-party for it or going it yourself. That’s a key decision in itself as the former will incur further expenses but the latter is going to be challenging both in spirit and energy.

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.

The internet and other media are flush with information to help you do that. There are also many guides and handbooks retailing very competitively to initiate the layman to stop foreclosure.

While the overall situation remains grim, the horizon seems to have cleared up a little. Consumer confidence index (Conference Board, June 2008) actually improved, albeit marginally and in a symbolic twist, home prices in Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Dallas, Denver, Minneapolis and Portland increased month-on-month over April (S&P/Case-Shiller, May 2008). Meanwhile, the government is now even helping lenders to help their mortgagers with their latest bill (Housing and Economic Recovery Act 2008), on top of continually bringing more rescue channels to defaulting homeowners.