Homeowners who fall behind on their mortgage payments are more likely to seek help from loved ones than from mortgage relief agencies, according to a recent survey by Money Management International. Half of homeowners surveyed say they would first seek help from family and friends before talking with their lender (26%) or seeking assistance from a housing counseling agency or mortgage relief program (13%). More than half (53%) say they are concerned about possible scams and fraudulent practices by mortgage assistance agencies, that the services they offer would cost more money than they could afford (51%) and that the process would be confusing or they would choose a solution they don’t fully understand (45%).
Nearly two-thirds of respondents who sought help did so when they were one to three months behind on their mortgage payments, 22% were four to six months behind and 4% were more than seven months behind. Some 57% say they would seek help only after they had lost their job, and 27% would seek help if they missed one mortgage payment.
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