Foreclosure time is crisis time. Plain and simple. If you are facing foreclosure you know this. You feel it daily, even hourly.

There’s one step that everyone facing foreclosure needs to take, first thing, before anything. Do this step before going to bed tonight. Do this step before watching Netflix or brushing your teeth.

And do this thing before you hire a lawyer! Shocking advice, coming from a lawyer.

The very first thing you must do is this: Get on a Written Budget.

Fixing your personal foreclosure crisis is about fixing your money. Our successful clients get this: the solution requires a change of behavior. The foreclosure fight is a secondary concern.  Almost none of the clients who come see me have a written budget, and if they do, it’s almost never accurate. You cannot get out of a foreclosure crisis by doing the same things that got you into the crisis in the first place.

We are big fans of Dave Ramsey and his system for budgeting. It’s what I use for my own finances. The budget is simple: every dollar you earn is assigned to an expense for your upcoming month. Every dollar has a purpose in advance. And the key is this: you must stick to the budget!

If you need help with budgeting, check out Dave Ramsey’s information here: Starting a Budget.

Facing a foreclosure? Need a great attorney? The first step is always to get yourself on a written budget.

Tomorrow, find out the Second Rule of Foreclosure. Here’s a hint – it’s not “Hire a Lawyer”.