Know how Washington state forclosure laws will affect you

Laws on foreclosure vary considerably by state so you should be familiar with at least a summary of foreclosure laws in Washington. You should also read your loan documents to know what your lender can do if you can't make your payments.

I recommend: ForeclosureS.com provides the contact information for the Attorney General’s Office in Washington and links to specific legislation regarding foreclosure in Washington. Advantage Mitigation Services summarizes the foreclosure laws in Washington and outlines the foreclosure recovery process.

Get assistance with Washington foreclosure recovery information

There are housing counselors and online resources available such as a Washington foreclosure list to help you understand your options, assist you in organizing your finances and negotiate with your lender if needed.

I recommend: The Department of Housing and Urban Development provides contact information for approved housing counselors in Washington that are available for free or very low cost. DebtAdvice.org is a service provided by the National Foundation for Credit Counseling and allows you to locate a Washington foreclosure expert based on your zip code and search radius.

Retain a Washington foreclosure attorney

You may need one of the many Washington foreclosure lawyers to protect your interests, especially if you need to sign documents. If your regular attorney is not familiar with Washington state foreclosure laws, he or she may be able to make a referral.

I recommend: John E. Turner is an ex-judge in Olympia and specifically handles Washington foreclosure law. Anderson Hunter has a practice area of personal law that includes foreclosure cases for clients in Snohomish County.

Watch out for mortgage recovery scams

The Federal Trade Commission warns that there are plenty of bad guys operating in the foreclosure recovery business who will take your money and provide no service. Some warning signs, according to the FTC: advertising terms like "guarantee" and "97% success rate", upfront fees before services and company names or websites designed to make you think you're dealing with a government or nonprofit agency.

I recommend: Educate yourself about foreclosure recovery scams through the Federal Trade Commission.  The FTC recommends you only seek foreclosure help from government sanctioned counseling agencies like the ones recommended by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development or the federal Making Home Affordable program.