While receiving a home foreclosure letter might not be the most pleasant of things, the reality is that more and more people face it on a regular basis. While it might be difficult to handle it or to even accept it, there are some strategies that can help you to either completely stop or at least delay the process. Here are some options you have:

1. Filing for bankruptcy. This step should delay the whole foreclosure process by at least a month or two giving you enough options to explore alternative ways to pay your missed mortgage payments. The moment you file for bankruptcy something called “automatic stay” comes into effect preventing the lender from seizing the property and selling it. The lender can still file to remove the automatic stay, but the whole process might take so long that it will buy some additional time you might need so desperately.

2. Apply for a loan modification. This can still be an option, and can allow you to pay the modified payments that might be more affordable than the original ones. Even if you think it’s unlikely, it’s worth a shot. You never know what circumstances that may be unknown to you may make a loan modification possible.

3. File a lawsuit against your lender. This might be the most difficult option from all the options above as you need a good reason and a high chance of succeeding to proceed. Very often, talking to your attorney prior to filing a lawsuit is your best bet to ensure that you have a chance of winning. Try to find an attorney who is very experienced in this particular area as many attorneys will have little to no experience here.

4. If filing a lawsuit against the lender is not an option, you might want to communicate with your lender. Believe it or not, your lender actually wants to strike a deal with you so that you can complete your payments and keep your house. Your lender ultimately wants you to keep your house as well provided that you find a way to keep up with your payments.

5. Consider selling something you own to make up for the missing payments and keep your home. Is there something that holds value that you would be willing to part with just so that you can keep your home? Write down or try to think of all the things that might be worth something and that could give you just enough money to make the delayed payments.

In the long term, following these simple steps may be just enough to help you avoid foreclosure and keep your home.