The foreclosure surge hit North Carolina late but when it did the ferocity has been intense. In Asheville there has been an increase of 229%. North Carolina witnessed a record number of foreclosures – 67,854 during the previous year. Many had purchased houses they could ill afford while others tripped in being current on their mortgage payment because of unemployment, family problems – all compounded by the general ill health of the economy.

One couple badly affected was Christopher Randall and his wife Devon. Things became tough when the cabinet business of Christopher wound up with the drop in construction work and his wife became pregnant for a second time. They appealed for help to the bank.

The Randalls were given forbearance agreement that turned out to be a temporary lull before the storm as monthly payments increased further after a short time. Thus it is imperative for house owners to take the advice of experts outside the lender to know what alternatives there are.

The Randalls did this but even then it was grueling anguish with papers getting lost while going from one department to another or from one person to another within the bank. The different persons had no link with each other and knew nothing about the case; each time a fresh start had to be made. It was a tough job to work through the maze, manage a modification and continue to stay. But help is there – provided it is taken early.

Laura Collins, an attorney from Pisgah Legal Services of Asheville represents the struggling homeowners. She said, “So many of our clients are so frustrated and demoralized by the whole experience that when it is combined with whatever events led them to default in the first place, it is too overwhelming”.

With proper legal help foreclosures can be delayed. In North Carolina the judges do not have to oversee foreclosures and thus it can run its course fast – matter of few months; the time taken is much less than that of other states where the rule is judicial foreclosure. Collins said if the foreclosure process has started it is vital that the house owner takes expert help.

But what should be avoided is paying any company or person that promises to take up on behalf of them the matter of modification of loans.  She added that in her state it is against the law for firms “to even advertise a loan modification for upfront fees. A lot of out-of-state companies advertise that, and many of them are scams”. Generally they vanish after taking the money.