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Foreclosure is when the Bank that holds the note to the property begins to retake possession of the property because the loan holder/owner has failed to make mortgage payments. Foreclosures are up significantly in 2007 as compared to 2006 or 2005 and many tenants are getting caught in the cross-hairs. With many Interest Only Loans on the market entering periods of recalculation, some borrowers are in a position of defaulting on the loan because they can't make the higher payments. While all of this is bad enough, what about the scenario where the borrower has rented the property out & is acting as a Landlord? What is the tenant to do? Here are some tips:

- Communicate: With a Real Estate Professional. Find out what your rights are. Do what you can to ensure that you don't jeopardize your good credit or that no negative actions are being taken towards you.

- Try to Negotiate: Your Landlord may not be in a position to negotiate, they may be holding you to the letter of the lease. But if the property has already been foreclosed upon & the bank is the owner, negotiate directly with the bank or their representative. Some banks offer something called "cash for keys" that help you to vacate the property sooner than you planned on. By all means, avoid the eviction process.

- Make a Plan of Action: It is hard to plan with such short notice, but you as the tenant need to quickly move from a reactive move to an active stance in a short period of time. Discuss the possibility of you being able to obtain the property or a loan from the bank. Remember, they want to sell the Bank Owned / Foreclosure Northern Virginia Homes as quickly as possible and may be willing to work with you. Again, with a minimal amount of planning & communication you might just find out that you can afford a home yourself & thus consider the benefits of buying over renting. A Northern Virginia Real Estate Agent & their lending partners will be able to give you an answer about buying a home in Northern Virginia in less than 24 hours.