Thanks for the good thoughts John, and the good advice for anyone facing such a situation.

I was surprised, yet not real surprised, at the amount of mail that started hitting my mailbox when the foreclosure process began. Some of it was from legitimate real estate agents or investors offering to buy the place outright. More of it was from folks offering to help change the mortgage loan in my favor for a fee. No Thanks. I'm dealing directly with the county court trustee and the mortgage company, period.

I haven't done a re-fi in more than 10 years. I have equity in the property - I'm not upside down in my mortgage. I figured hanging onto a good loan rate while reducing the principle was better than grabbing some quick cash even when the market value was increasing. I haven't chosen to sell the place at under appraised value (but more than I owe) because the amount of money I might clear on such a sale in today's market would be minimal....small enough that if I fall short in my efforts to cure, I should be able to walk away with a fair amount of cash in my pocket - cash that I was going to use to cure the loan - and probably close to what I'd clear selling it outright. I don't want to move. When you live in a house for more than 20 years, it really is home. Sell or be foreclosed on, I'll have to move. I don't want either scenario to happen and am doing my best to avoid it. If I lose my home, it will be, by far, the most disruptive personal experience of my 57+ years on this planet.

Today's economy is what has put me into my current situation. I just haven't been making enough money to pay all of the bills and it's getting worse. My primary source of income has been cut by 40% for this year from last year due to funding cuts. My secondary income sources have provided increasingly less income despite more effort. Things aren't looking to get better in the near future. I'm getting old. Right about now was when good things were supposed to happen, or start happening (so I always thought). Get/be content and/or comfortable. It ain't happening for me, and I'm not alone...