Long Beach Foreclosure Lawyers

Find the right Foreclosure attorney in Long Beach, CA

Foreclosure Law in California

In Long Beach, California, foreclosure is a legal process through which an entity which has issued a mortgage takes possession and/or ownership of the property that secured the mortgage, because the individual who took out the mortgage has consistently failed to make payments on it. The property in question is usually a house.

When consumers have to deal with foreclosure, it almost always involves a home. The bank will usually take possession of the house, and then sell it at auction, to try to encompass the balance of the mortgage. Banks normally want sell the property quickly, for as much money as possible.

In California, and every other state, foreclosed homeowners can go through a "foreclosure by judicial sale." In this form of foreclosure sale, a court supervises the sale, ensuring that the bank makes every reasonable effort to get the highest price possible for the house. The purpose of this is to maximize the chances that the bank gets, at the very least, the remaining balance of the mortgage. Although this may seem counter-intuitive, it is intended to safeguard the borrower: it helps prevent them from still owing money after the house is sold at auction.

In some states, original mortgages are regarded "non-recourse" loans. This means that once the house or other property that secured the mortgage is sold, and if it sells for less than the balance of the mortgage, the lender has to absorb the loss, and cannot sue the borrower for the remainder. This normally does not apply to second mortgages or refinanced loans.

How to Possibly Avoid Foreclosure in Long Beach, California

It is absolutely necessary that you maintain a line of communication with your lender. Your can't expect your lender to accommodate your altered financial situation if they don't know about it. Ignoring the issue and hoping it will go away is the worst possible solution.

Bear in mind that banks aren't in the business of real estate speculation - they're in the business of lending money, and making profits through interest on their loans. In short, the bank doesn't really want your house - they'd much rather have you continue making your mortgage payments. For banks, foreclosing on a home is a last resort. Essentially, nobody likes foreclosures, and everyone wants to prevent them.

Because banks don't specifically enjoy foreclosing, they will probably be willing to work out an alternative payment plan with you, if necessary. Nonetheless, if you think that this might be needed in the near future, you should contact your lender immediately. The sooner they know about it, the more options you have.

Lastly, there is the "short sale." Normally considered a last resort, a short sale results in the borrower losing their home, but discharges almost all of their remaining mortgage debt. If the house is worth far less than the balance of the mortgage, this might be a good choice. In California, when a house is sold in a short sale, the proceeds go to the lender. If it sells for less than the mortgage balance, whatever's leftover is forgiven. If it sells for more, the surplus goes to the homeowner.

Can a Long Beach, California real estate attorney help?

If you live in Long Beach, California and believe that your house is in danger of being foreclosed, you may have more options and protections than you think. You may not know what all of them are, but an accomplished real estate lawyer probably will.

Talk to a Real Estate Law Attorney now!

Life in Long Beach

Long Beach, California is best known as "the LBC" by rap and pop music fans. Long Beach is actually the 7th largest city in California with just under 500,000 residents. Recently, Long Beach was named the "Aquatic Capital of the Nation" because the Port of Long Beach is one of the world's largest container ports and plays a substantial part in the global economy. The City of Long Beach is does not only revolve around the port. Many oil, aircraft, automobile, electronics, and home furnishings manufacturing plants are located in Long Beach. The city has seen an influx of new residents since the aerospace and other technology industries have begun to boom. In fact, Boeing produces DC-8s, DC-9s, DC-10s, MD-11s, C-17s, and the Boeing 717 all from their Long Beach production plants. Boeing is the second largest employer in Long Beach in front of California State University Long Beach and behind the Log Beach Unified School District.

Long Beach has obviously made production and transportation one of the cornerstones of the economy so you shouldn't be surprised to find the bevy of ports, busses, airports, freeways, highways and bike paths that have been masterfully incorporated into the city's design. Long Beach announced its vision to become the most bicycle friendly city and has really followed through. The city has identified traffic routes and destinations and created bike routes that are convenient and illustrated on the Long Beach City Bike Map for tourists and locals alike.

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