Stephen Baldwin lost his home2 of 8The youngest of the Baldwin brothers landed a number of roles as a reality show contestant in the past decade. The money he received from those gigs wasn't enough to keep him in his home and pay all his debts. In 2009, Baldwin and his wife filed for bankruptcy after his house went into foreclosure.To avoid foreclosure, you should know from the beginning what your total monthly housing costs will be, including taxes, insurance and homeowners' dues, says Troy Doucet, author of "23 Legal Defenses to Foreclosure.""Don't even consider that you might earn more money in the future," Doucet says. "Just figure out if you can make the payments right now."Lenders want no more than 31 percent of your total income to go to mortgage debt and your total debt including your mortgage shouldn't exceed 38 percent, Doucet says. Related Articles:What is bankruptcy?12 bankruptcy mythsCh. 7 versus Ch. 13Considering bankruptcyRelated Links:Life after bankruptcyPay mortgage in Ch. 7Restoring creditHiring a bankruptcy lawyer advertisement
The youngest of the Baldwin brothers landed a number of roles as a reality show contestant in the past decade. The money he received from those gigs wasn't enough to keep him in his home and pay all his debts. In 2009, Baldwin and his wife filed for bankruptcy after his house went into foreclosure.
To avoid foreclosure, you should know from the beginning what your total monthly housing costs will be, including taxes, insurance and homeowners' dues, says Troy Doucet, author of "23 Legal Defenses to Foreclosure."
"Don't even consider that you might earn more money in the future," Doucet says. "Just figure out if you can make the payments right now."
Lenders want no more than 31 percent of your total income to go to mortgage debt and your total debt including your mortgage shouldn't exceed 38 percent, Doucet says.
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