• Copies of all foreclosure documents you've received, if any. Also save the envelopes of documents you've received, if available. Label one file folder for each group of documents and put them in the folders in chronological order. You will refer to these documents again and again as you fight your foreclosure.

C. Learn the Clock

Foreclosure involves very specific timetables in which notices must be carefully served, mailed, recorded, posted, and published before your lender can legally foreclose.

Foreclosures can be conducted either judicially or nonjudicially, depending on your state. You need to know which type lenders in your state use. Each kind of foreclosure has its own procedural rules, so you need to know whether you are facing a judicial or nonjudicial foreclosure. Here are the particulars:

Judicial foreclosure. Most foreclosures of mortgages are judicial. This kind of foreclosure starts when your lender files a lawsuit in the court in the county in which your property is located. You must be served (provided with) with a copy of the Summons and Complaint for foreclosure. A judicial foreclosure can take anywhere from one to two years.

Nonjudicial foreclosure. Most foreclosures of deeds of trust are nonjudicial. Your lender avoids the court system entirely by having a trustee (a third party who conducts the foreclosure) follow a specific series of notice procedures, then sells your property at a public auction. A nonjudicial foreclosure can take anywhere from three to four months depending on your state.

Knowing the foreclosure clock is another secret to successfully stopping your foreclosure. Once you understand the time constraints within which you are working, you can customize a strategy that fits your particular situation. For example, if you have two to three months until the foreclosure sale, you still have time to bring your loan current, negotiate with your lender, or refinance your property. On the other hand, if you have less than a week before the foreclosure sale, your only option may be to file for bankruptcy. Remember, the secret is that these time periods are for your benefit--not your lender's. This is your opportunity to apply a strategy that can most effectively stop the foreclosure.

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