Dawn Isenhower Sibcy Cline Realtors

There it sits at one end of my street. It was once a lovely traditional two story, but now, it looks weathered and forgotten. The home and its owners are the casualties of foreclosure and I am left to ponder all of the things that I could have done to be of more assistance.

For a while, the home was "For Sale by Owner." Having been turned down for a tour request by another FSBO in my neighborhood, I kept my distance with this home at first. One day, however, I noticed that the home was vacant, but the "For Sale" sign was still in the yard. As the weeks passed, the sign in the yard had fallen over, and I noticed that no one was coming around to put it back up.

I finally decided that I was going to make the call that I should have made weeks earlier. When I went to get the phone number, I actually had to pick the sign up off of the ground and put it back up. The sign had been exposed to the elements for so long that I could barely make out the phone number, but I was able to read it well enough. Then I made the call. In my message, I told the owner that I could not help but notice that the home was vacant and that the sign had been down. I also told him that I would be glad to help him in any way that I could. I received no response.

A few weeks later, I noticed that the wind had blown the middle of the sign completely out. I called the owner again to let him know that the sign was broken and to see if there was anything that I could do to help. Once again, no response. Then, my curiosity got the best of me and I did some searching. As it turned out, the home had already been in pre-foreclosure for quite some time when I initially called to offer help.

Now, each time that I pass by, I feel a sense of defeat. The home is still vacant, but at least the yard it being mowed. Had I known what was happening to these people, who were right at one end of my street, maybe I could have helped them through their ordeal.

Homeowners, please do not wait to get help if you are facing a possible foreclosure. Finding out what your options are at the first signs of trouble will save you a lot of turmoil and just might save your credit so that you can take advantage of some of the deals in the current market.