If you are like a lot of people these days, you need some foreclosure help to help you out of the hole you have dug yourself in. You may not have intentionally dug that hole but you realize it exists nonetheless.

The number of homes foreclosed upon soared in 2007. Approximately 405,000 households lost their homes. This is supposed to be the American dream. Now so many people are losing out on that dream that it is becoming scary! So many people have literally given the shirts off their backs to own a home and all of a sudden the rug is being pulled out from under them!

Total foreclosure filings skyrocketed 97% in December alone when compared with the foreclosures in December of 2006. For the year, total filings which include auction sale notices, default notices and bank repossessions grew a whopping 75%.

In the state of California, almost 66,000 people lost their homes in 2007. In the state of Michigan, 47,000 families went through foreclosure and it is estimated that in certain areas of the state, about 1 out of every 4 homes is in foreclosure. Nevada was also hard hit where 10,000 people had their houses repossessed.

Would you like to get some foreclosure help? Here are some tips that may help to keep your creditors at bay.

If you are like thousands of families here in the United States today, are you having a hard time keeping up with your mortgage payments? Have you gotten letters in the mail from your lenders asking you to contact them immediately? It is not good to bury your head in the sand like an ostrich. You should do the following:

* Do not ignore any letters from your lender. * Make it a point to contact your lender right away. * Contact a HUD approved housing counseling agency.

What will happen if you are not able to make your mortgage payment?

1. Do not ignore the problem - It will not go away by itself. The further behind you get, the harder it will be that your house will be put on the chopping block.

2. As soon as you realize there may be a problem, contact your lender. The lender does not want your home. He or she has options to help borrowers through hard financial times.

3. Open and reply to all mail that comes to your house from your lender. Some of the very first notices you will receive will give good information about foreclosure help. Options will be presented that may help you weather financial problems. Later mail may warn you of upcoming legal action. The failure to open your mail will not be taken lightly in foreclosure court.

4. Study and know your mortgage rights. Get hold of your loan documents so that you will be informed as to what your lender may do if you cannot make your mortgage payments. Learn in depth about foreclosure laws and the timeframes in your state.

5. Make spending your priority. After health insurance, keeping your house should be your very first priority. Review your financial situation and see if there are places where you can cut corners in an effort to make your mortgage payment. Delay payments on any "unsecured" debt until after your mortgage payment is paid.

6. Avoid companies that claim to specialize in foreclosure prevention. You do not need to pay any upfront fees for foreclosure help. Many of these so called companies promise to negotiate with your lender. While this may be true, you will be charged a hefty fee for information you could have gotten free or very cheaply elsewhere.

7. Finally, do not lose your house to foreclosure recovery scams! Be careful that you do not sign away your own home. Do not sign a legal document without first reading and understanding all of the terms. If you do not understand something, seek professional help from an attorney. Don't forget, there are many ways to obtain foreclosure help.

There are foreclosure laws in place which is probably not a news alert for you. But most people do not understand that those laws are designed to protect both the lender as well as the consumer. Some lenders count on the fact that you do not know your rights, and you do have rights especially about foreclosure, so it is to your tremendous benefit to know what your rights are. For more insights and where to find Foreclosure Help please visit our web site at http://www.guidetostoppingforeclosure.com