Some landlords are letting their rental homes fall into foreclosure.

If you rent one of the many Colorado Springs homes that are currently rented, you may want to make sure that your landlord is paying their mortgage. Across the country, renters who are paying their rent on time are being evicted from their homes because their landlords are not paying their mortgage payments, and letting their properties fall into foreclosure. These people who were renting these homes come home after work one day to find all their belongings on the front curb, changed locks and no place to call home - all because their landlord quit paying theor mortgage and never let their renters know that they would soon be homeless.

It's horrible, but happening all over the nation right now.

Read Also: Sheriff tells deputies not to help in foreclosures

If you are currently renting a house (or live in a duplex, tri-plex or 4-plex) you may want to make sure that your home is not falling into foreclosure.

So, you may be asking ...

"How do I check to see if my rental home is in foreclosure?"

The Colorado Springs Real Estate Connection - Wagner iTeam (we) have created a guide on how to find out if your rental home is in foreclosure, and what to do if it is, in 5 Easy Steps:

Step One: To see if your Colorado Springs home is in foreclosure visit the EL Paso County Public Trustee and click on "Foreclosure Search":

Step Two: From there, scroll down and enter your street name into the address bar and click "Search":

If you do not see your address on the next screen, then you are fine. No worries. However ...

DON'T FREAK OUT IF YOU DO SEE YOUR ADDRESS IN THE NEXT SCREEN.

If a property was ever a Colorado Springs foreclosure - even years ago, then it will show up on that next screen. If you DO see your address on the next screen, what you need to do is this:

Step Three: Click on the FC# next to your address:

Step Four: When the next page pops up, click on "Basics" on the menu to the left of the screen:

Step Five: Check the "Original Sale Date" and "Actual Sale Date". If these dates are in the past, then you have no worries. If these dates are in the future, then you will have to do some planning.

• First: Contact your landlord and (nicely) ask what their plans are for the property. You will have to understand that your landlord is probably facing some serious financial difficulties so even though you will need to be firm (it IS your home, you know... ) please be nice.
  Note: They may be selling the home, which means that your lease will be just fine, should the home sell before the foreclosure date. Or, they may be catching up on their mortgage payments, which would ALSO mean that your lease would be just fine. (Just be wary ... and keep your eye on the Foreclosure list to make sure the home DOES, in fact, get removed from the list...)
• Second: If you cannot get a hold of your landlord, or are not comfortable with their response to your question, then you will need to look for a new place to live BEFORE the date marked on the El Paso County Public Trustee's website.
• Finally: Find a new home to rent. Fortunately, there are a lot of great homes for rent in Colorado Springs right now. You can call a property manager to help you find a new home. We like Nicole Lee of Ashford Rentals: 719.314.6057

Ultimately, you need to look out for yourself and your family. Be educated. Be aware. Call us if you have any questions: 719.434.7525

Posted By: Mariana Wagner - Colorado Springs Real Estate Agent - Colorado Springs Foreclosure Expert