 TITLE: How Long Does a Foreclosure Stay on Your Credit Report? CONTENT: Tips to Avoid Foreclosure\n-------------------------\nWhile your credit can and will recover after a foreclosure, the best response to foreclosure is to prevent it altogether.\nHere are some tips to avoid the painful process in the first place:\n*   Be proactive with your lender. Before you miss your first mortgage payment (and strike a blow to your credit score), reach out to your lender and let them know you're having difficulty. They may offer you some options to help you work through a short-term loss of income or buy you time to sell your home. Depending on the nature of the property and how many payments you've already made on the loan, they may also offer to renegotiate a longer repayment term with lower monthly payments.\n*   Respond to communications from your lender. When debt starts to feel overwhelming, it's common for borrowers to let notices from lenders pile up in the form of unanswered voicemails and unopened mail. That's the worst possible response. Lenders don't want to be in the foreclosure business, but they can't work with you if you don't respond when they reach out. The conversations won't be fun, but they're better than losing your home.\n*   Use the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) as a resource. HUD has a variety of helpful tips and strategies and offers access to counselors who can help you work out a plan for avoiding foreclosure.\nForeclosure is something no one—neither borrower nor lender—ever wants to go through. It's best avoided altogether, but if you can't get around it, you and your credit should eventually recover. END