"Borrowers should never pay fees up front to obtain assistance from a foreclosure consultant." This warning in capital letters greets you at the Minnesota Attorney General's website. Scam artists play on the fears of the vulnerable and desperate. They promise but do not deliver requiring money for services that are available free through non-profit organizations.
The last several years have been very unique in the long-term real estate market. Drops in prices, banks owning houses, new foreclosure filings; this has been our norm.