At risk of home foreclosure ? Get the right kind of help.

If you are having debt problems, and are at risk of home foreclosure, turn to the right kind of help. Unfortunately, there are a lot of places out there claiming they want to help you that aren't being sincere.

What they are really wanting is to buy your home for pennies on the dollar when you are at your most vulnerable.  Some foreclosure “rescue” professionals use veiled half truths and sometimes,  outright lies to sell you on services that promise quick relief and then fail to deliver on those promises. Their main goal is to make a quick buck via the fees or mortgage payments they collect from you, and they may not not pass these fees on to the lender. Even worse, there are some scams, where they can assume ownership of your home by deceiving you.

So, what to do then?  How can you make sure you're getting the right kind of help?

Start with these resources:

• HUD, a U.S Government Agency, maintains a list of reputable housing counselers that makes the process of getting help less risky. You can call them at 1-800-569-4287 or see their list at at HUD's website. Another safe option...
• The Homeownership Preservation Foundation. They are endorsed by both the HUD agency and the FDIC. Call them at 1-888-995-4673, or see their web site at 995hope.org.
• The "Hope Now" alliance.