If you are reading this now, and find yourself in the all too common situation where: *You owe more on your home than what its worth, *You can no longer afford the payments on the loan(s) you have, and *You don't know what to do ...then you can start feeling comfortable right now. Why? Because, first off: you're not alone. Second: not knowing what to do is OK because that's the place to start. Lastly: we'd all be wise to let go of any remaining notions of shame we may be holding onto because, by now, you'd be hard pressed to find someone who hasn't been affected by the housing market's demise in some way. Now, the question remains: what to do about it? Well, if you are like most, then one or all of the following apply: 1) Everything you hear about loan modification, short sales and foreclosures, etc .. sounds like "drunk sailor talk" when all anybody has offered you to drink so far is a warm glass of water. 2) You scour the internet for helpful information and all you seem to find are forums of useless chatter & money hungry schemes that leave you no closer to where you want to be (and sometimes holding a bill). 3) All you want is for someone to explain what your best options are, in a format that could be easily understood by a 7 year old - and not make it so unnecessarily dry and boring in the process. If you can find yourself in these truths, then holding this book is the first step in what will be your eventual resolution. First off, this book is less than 100 pages. Why? Because all you need is 5.2 hours, no matter where you start or what you're after, to get to where it is that you want to be. You need not be a lawyer to do this (nor will you need to pay for one now that you're holding this book) and you don't need a lot of time. You just need the tools, the direction and the confidence to know that these same 4 Steps have helped thousands already. Authors Jesse Ibanez and Cherie Tiscareno have been holding the torch for homeowners in need since the market collapse a half decade ago, and have been effectively illuminating the path of "what to do about it" ever since. Their work as co-founders and leaders of the Hope Against HOPE movement, a not-for-profit aligned with the interests of the thousands of distressed homeowners that they've helped, for free, over the years has afforded them the unique perspective of 'the homeowner's voice' throughout this book. They've selflessly traveled the state in this endeavor to bring clarity to any homeowners who were motivated enough to listen. And since 2009, they've given away their own heartfelt stories of foreclosure and loss in the spirit of a collective repair. Its been said, "you're always either being part of the growing problem or part of the growing solution." This experience, alongside the cumulative best efforts from industry insiders of 'what to do about it' in their free workshops and 45 page tool kits, spawned their answer to that challenge, which eventually became the watershed event for this book. They realized that a one-hour workshop and tool kit, no matter how valuable, could only take the conversation so far. Once the workshop was over, there was a big piece missing. There was still a need to take homeowners the rest of the way, all the way to their desired outcome. And so was born this work, Fresh Start For Home Owners. We are here in service to your desired outcome. It is our humble offering that it finds you exactly where you are at and will be your trusty companion alongside your journey. Best of luck, and thank you for being part of the growing solution, one family at a time. Jesse & Cherie