Times are stressful. Many homeowners who refinanced their properties a few years back to pay off credit card debt, medical expenses or place a down payment on another home are faced with overwhelming worry and financial stress today. We've seen people tap into their 401K, run up their credit cards and borrow money from family just to pay their mortgage. Even folks fortunate enough to save a few hundred dollars a month after a successful loan modification, find themselves over $100,000 underwater and struggling to make their mortgage payment. We met with a young couple last week, paying nearly $5,000 for a home that would lease for $2,250. After a job loss or too much financial pressure, homeowners start missing payments - usually while attempting another loan modification. The goal is to save their home, their dream and their credit. At this stage or sooner, it's critically important for homeowners to look at all of their options. Usually the failure to execute a plan leads to foreclosure. And when it comes to second mortgages, foreclosure may lead to a deficiency judgment. A deficiency judgment is the worst of both worlds - people losing their house and still having the weight of their negative equity chasing them down for wage garnishments and 10 years of harrassing calls. When facing foreclosure, some homeowners should considering selling instead. When selling your home, a professional agent negotiator can work with the lender to waive any of their rights to a deficiency judgment. They can help you sell your home at no cost. They can help you find a comparable property to rent at typically half the cost. In as few as two years, they can help you buy another home - sometimes at half the price of your current mortgage. We call this re-creating the dream. It's a practical, proven alternative to saving a dream and waiting approximately 15 years to be back in a "break even" position after paying 15 years of double payments just to catch up.