Living upside-down in home equity can seem like topsy-turvy land:  up is down, left is right, and everything else is wrong…but you still have to take out the trash.  That great real estate investment that you call home may not be supporting you with the financial backbone you were counting on, but you have to live there…and so do your neighbors. Mow the lawn, take out the trash, and upkeep the property.  Even in foreclosure, it is generally in your best interest to maintain the place.  Not only does it help sustain property value of the area, but it may help you with a short sale…which could help you avoid a foreclosure on your credit. (A short sale occurs when the lender agrees to accept less than the mortgage balance.) A short sale is not the ideal situation, but it can be the best thing for the universe.  It may be able to bring the most money for the property at the time…as opposed to a foreclosure or REO (Real Estate Owned).  A short sale can be the best for the bank, the homeowner, and for the neighborhood.  It gives the bank at least some money, it gets the homeowner [...] Read More