Your foreclosure companion -- Foreclosure: the big picture. What to expect ; Your options: an overview ; How you can stay in your house payment free ; Why foreclosure doesn't have to be so bad ; Don't get scammed by a foreclosure "rescue" company ; Beware of property preservation companies -- Foreclosure nuts and bolts. How much time you'll have to respond ; In or out of court? ; Deficiency judgments: will you still owe money after the foreclosure? ; Taxes -- Can you keep your house? should you? The emotional part of foreclosure ; The economics of foreclosure: what you need to know ; When it makes sense to keep your house ; When it makes sense to give up your house -- Working out a way to avoid foreclosure. Do you have enough time to work out an alternative to foreclosure? ; Using a HUD-approved housing counselor ; The making home affordable program ; Basic workout options ; Workouts for government-backed mortgages ; Foreclosure avoidance mediation programs ; Hardest hit fund programs ; Special protections for service members on active duty -- How chapter 13 bankruptcy can delay or stop foreclosure. Using chapter 13 to keep your house ; An overview of the chapter 13 bankruptcy process ; Coming up with a repayment plan ; Will you need a lawyer? -- How chapter 7 bankruptcy can delay or stop foreclosure. How chapter 7 bankruptcy helps you ; Using chapter 7 bankruptcy to keep your house ; Using chapter 7 bankruptcy to delay a foreclosure sale in good faith ; The chapter 7 bankruptcy process: an overview ; Do you qualify for chapter 7 bankruptcy? ; Will you need a lawyer? -- Fighting foreclosure in court. How long can you delay the sale of your house? ; When it may be worth fighting ; When you can sue for money ; How to fight a foreclosure -- If you decide to leave your house. Let the foreclosure proceed ; Be community minded ; Be wary of leaving the home before the foreclosure sale ; Sell the house in a short sale ; Offer the lender a deed in lieu of foreclosure ; Avoiding deficiency judgments ; Income tax liability for deficiencies -- How long can you stay in your house for free? When you miss your first payment ; Before foreclosure starts, you'll likely get a breach letter ; After you receive a formal notice of foreclosure ; The redemption period ; After the sale ; After you get a notice to leave -- Resources beyond the book. HUD-approved housing counselors ; Real estate brokers ; Mortgage brokers ; Lawyers ; Foreclosure websites ; Books ; Looking up foreclosure statutes -- Glossary -- Appendix: State information.