How to Avoid Mortgage Repossession

The term “mortgage arrears” simply means falling behind on your mortgage. What is not so simple about the fact is that you risk losing your home and putting your family in the street. When you fail to pay your monthly mortgage repayments your mortgage lender will be constrained to repossess your house so that your debt will be satisfied. Mortgage repossession is hardly a light issue. That is why a mortgage must be considered as a priority debt. You must try to pay it off first before any other debt.
The best way to avoid mortgage repossessions is to keep up with your mortgage repayments. In order to do this, you must take into account your capacity to pay at the time you are taking out the mortgage. Before you decide to buy a house, ask yourself, “Can I afford this house?” Do the calculations and ensure that you are able to pay for the monthly payments without too much sacrifice. After all, you don’t just need to pay for your mortgage every month. You also need to eat and have emergency needs. In taking out your mortgage and coming up with a financing plan, you need to take everything into consideration.
However, if you are well into your monthly repayments and suddenly find yourself in a bind, there are still ways for you to avoid falling into long term arrears and eventually mortgage repossession. First, do not ignore the problem. When faced with an imminent danger of falling into arrears, it can be very tempting to ignore the problem and hope it goes away or resolves on its own. Do not allow yourself to fall into this trap. Problems do not resolve themselves and you need to act as soon as possible so they don’t worsen.
When you start feeling that your mortgage repayments are going downhill you need to switch mortgage quick. Find a mortgage on a better rate as quick as you can and decide if it is something that you can work with and help you come out of the danger of mortgage repossession. Remember if you have over 20% equity on your home you have better chances of getting a better rate. If you don’t have a good credit history you should talk to an independent mortgage broker.
Second, go interest-only – but only for a while. This means that you can cut your bill dramatically by paying only the interest on your mortgage. This means your debt doesn’t increase, however, remember that you are no longer paying your debt so it doesn’t decrease either. This is a good short-term fix, until you are able to get better footing in terms of your financial standing. Then you can get back to paying your capital plus interest repayments in order to avoid mortgage repossession.
Third, you can choose to extend your mortgage term to decrease the amount that you have to pay monthly as repayment. Talk to your lender about this option and inform them that you feel that you are about to or are falling into mortgage arrears and you fear eventual mortgage repossession. The next option is that you sell your home. It may seem drastic but perhaps it is time to face facts. Perhaps you really cannot afford your home. Sell your house and find some place more suitable to your needs and capabilities.

This article was contributed by Willie Nelson, a property specialist offering quick house sale solution for homeowners wanting to sell their properties in the UK.