1.    Don’t let your hazard insurance lapse if you’re planning

       to keep your home.   If you let your insurance lapse, the 

       servicer will “force place” insurance for you at a much  

       higher cost.

2.    Don’t sign any document transferring title to your  

       property unless it is a proper sale where you are receiving

       enough proceeds to pay off or settle your mortgage debt. 

3.    Don’t prepay for workout assistance (when someone

       offers to negotiate a loan modification with your lender). 

4.    Don’t sign a general power of attorney. Any document

       you sign authorizing someone else to act on your behalf

       should be clearly limited to only those actions necessary

       to negotiate a resolution to your mortgage delinquency. 

5.    Beware of anyone that tells you not to talk to your

       servicer, credit counselors, or attorneys. 

6.    Beware of anyone that asks you to send them your

       mortgage payment instead of the servicer.

7.    Beware of anyone other than your servicer that calls you

       before you call them. 

8.    Beware of anyone that doesn’t ask you for fairly detailed

       financial information. 

9.    Beware of anyone that asks that you sign any agreement

       with blank spaces or without having the opportunity to

       consult an attorney.

10.  Don’t rely on verbal agreements.