When money is tight, individuals may have trouble paying their mortgages.
When they simply can no longer afford to make payments, the financial institution that lent the individual money for the home will foreclose on the home, leaving that individual homeless.
In many cases, foreclosure seems like a foregone conclusion since an individual has no prospects for a greater income.
This, however, may not always be the case.
In fact, individuals can take steps to ensure that they will keep their homes during their time of financial difficulty.
The first, and perhaps most obvious, route is talking to the lending institution.
In many cases, these institutions will work with struggling individuals, often by lowering payments or interest rates.
These institutions usually appreciate a homeowner's willingness to handle the situation responsibly and will work to make payments more affordable.
The second method for avoiding foreclosure is reducing other debts.
By listing monthly expenditures in detail, individuals can look at where their money goes each month and cut the unnecessary spending.
Some cuts may only need to be temporary, so it is important to deeply consider each item on the list and determine whether or not it is absolutely essential.
The third route is declaring bankruptcy.
Though bankruptcy will hurt an individual's credit rating for several years, it may be the only way he or she can keep a home.
Individuals who file for bankruptcy are often allowed to keep their home and one automobile during the bankruptcy process.
Unfortunately, some individuals are in situations so tough that they cannot be resolved through any of these methods.
When that happens, foreclosure may be the only solution.
However, there are fortunately several options struggling individuals can take before this becomes an inevitability.