Nobody wants a distressed financial situation to come to foreclosure but unfortunately, sometimes it does happen.

Often, the situation becomes increasingly disastrous because the homeowner isn’t aware they have options to help them avoid or reduce the resulting damage. It cannot be overstated: the worst possible outcomes result from the homeowner doing nothing once they become aware of the foreclosure.

Foreclosure doesn’t have to mean the end, either. As traumatic and unfortunate as the process can be, there are ways for the homeowner to find new housing and, eventually, a fresh start. With the help of available resources and professional assistance, such as from highly qualified House Karma experts, those facing eviction and their families can start the road to recovery almost immediately.

Make no mistake, however. Once you’ve been foreclosed upon and the sale has happened, time is not on your side. Your best chance is to seek assistance immediately and then move out without being forced out or evicted. This opens the door to financial assistance programs to help you find a new home. Not every foreclosure needs to end with sheriffs tossing a homeowner’s belongings into the street. But you must act quickly.

Understand Eviction Timelines

Although it depends on where you live and the laws that apply there, it’s possible you’ll have as little as 30 days to relocate once there has been a foreclosure sale. If you find yourself facing eviction, consult local experts to understand the laws and processes in your jurisdiction. Don’t procrastinate; otherwise, you may face few housing options outside of a housing shelter in the short term.

What Happens to Your Belongings Post-Eviction?

If eviction is inevitable, know what will happen to your belongings. In some areas, your items could be removed from your house, onto the sidewalk, or even the street. In others, they may be stored on the property for up to 30 days or moved to a storage facility by a licensed company. In these cases, the cost to retrieve your belongings can be considerable—sometimes upwards of $15,000.

Regardless, if your home has been foreclosed upon, you will have to move. Early on, you’ll have options to avoid the worst results, and help is usually available. But as time goes on, your options begin to dwindle, and you’ll find yourself making increasingly difficult choices. Those worst-case scenarios can be avoided, however, if you act and act quickly.

After the foreclosure sale has occurred has taken place, and your property has been sold or taken back, and you are no longer the owner of your home, the new deed holder will typically send a representative to your home to speak with you about your options and plans to move out. This representative is often a local real estate broker who has been assigned to resell the property.

You may hear the term “REO” used during this process. When a house is retaken by a mortgage lender through foreclosure, that home is often referred to as “REO,” or “Real Estate Owned.” Our House Karma experts specialize in the reselling process. House Karma experts prefer to collaborate with former homeowners to find the best possible outcome and are specially trained to help evicted homeowners get through this difficult time in their lives.

Keep in mind that even the most compassionate and helpful brokers are usually working for the lender or investor who now owns the house. Their primary job is to help all sides to the best possible outcome. They’re very familiar with how the process works, as well as the best resources for the former homeowners. But, in the end, the point of the foreclosure process is for the lender to recoup its losses by selling your former home.

If there is to be an eviction, a separate entity or department from the lender or new deed holder will handle the matter. Usually, it’s done by an independent law firm. Once it has begun, there’s really no way to stop it. So blaming the real estate professional or evicting law firm will not stop it. Even they have no say in the matter.

Hoping that an eviction will be called off or stopped is not a strategy. Is it possible to fight the process with the help of an attorney? Yes—but it’s also expensive and, more often than not, simply delays the inevitable. Having said that, consulting with a qualified attorney is always one of the best ways to consider all of your options. Doing nothing and hoping something will change virtually guarantees that you will have missed your best opportunity to make the most of a bad situation.

If you’ve been foreclosed upon, your best option is to enlist the aid of a trained real estate broker. They have the resources and expertise to help you locate acceptable new housing and relocate before the eviction is completed.

Although all of this sounds harsh, living through foreclosure becomes a matter of making the best of a bad situation. A foreclosure on your record will make it difficult enough to find rental housing. Having a foreclosure and eviction on your record will make it extremely difficult to find rental housing without the help of professionals who have seen the situation many of times before. The situation only gets worse the longer you wait. Your best chance is to accept the situation, make use of the expertise and financial assistance offered, and move forward.