Once a homeowner falls behind on their mortgage payments, it is best to contact the lender’s loss mitigation department to begin a dialogue with the lender on what can be done to prevent a foreclosure. Depending on state laws, typically lenders can begin the foreclosure process once a homeowner becomes 60 days in arrears on their mortgage. So, the sooner the borrower contacts the lender, usually the better for the homeowner. Lender’s who don’t hear from homeowners who are in arrears on their mortgage are more likely to be foreclosed on sooner by a lender than borrowers who contact the lender. If the lender is unwilling to discuss options, such as loan modifications, short sales, short term refinancing, forbearance, or deed in lieu of foreclosure, a borrower should contact a third party such as Vivix Credit Solutions to represent the borrower in negotiations with the lender or servicer. Typically, these services are not free, but these companies are trained to negotiate with lender’s loss mitigation departments and often deliver better terms to the borrower in shorter time frames than the borrower will negotiate for themselves.