Several experts offered the following tips for people in danger of foreclosure, and those interested in selling, buying or otherwise investing in real estate.

AUGUSTA ATTORNEY JOE MITCHELL , who represents people in bankruptcy courts in Georgia and South Carolina:

- "The thing I tell most folks is the first place they need to go is to their lender," Mr. Mitchell said. He said many lenders have special departments that will work with borrowers to develop payment plans and stop foreclosure.

- Foreclosures are done this way in Georgia. First, he said, a foreclosure letter comes from the lender giving you the total due and the due date; the next letter demands payment in full, which means foreclosure; the lender will run the foreclosure notice in the local newspaper's legal ads, then sell the property from the courthouse steps.

SOUTH CAROLINA HAS THE same principal steps, Mr. Mitchell said, except it is a judicial proceeding, meaning the lender has to have you physically served with foreclosure papers, and you then have 30 days to respond before foreclosure is granted.

- When you receive that first notice, don't ignore it. Call the lender immediately. It can be frustrating to get to the right person, but be persistent. The first letter will list HUD- approved credit advisers -- seek these people out for advice, not those who promise rescue, Mr. Mitchell said.

- Do not sign your house over to anyone without the advice of a lawyer or licensed real estate agent.

- Look at your budget. Is the financial problem a short-term condition or is your loan more than you can manage? It might be time to cut your losses and move.

- You can try to sell the home if you have enough equity to pay off your loan. Ask the lender whether a short sale -- getting less than the loan -- would be acceptable. It might be cheaper for the lender to take less than to go through the expense of foreclosure.

CHRISTEL JILES, the coordinator of the home ownership program at the CSRA Economic Opportunity Authority:

- Call your lender immediately, she said. Ninety percent of the families who contact lenders early keep their homes.

- Send the lender a "hardship letter" that explains what happened financially, including what income was lost, what you can do to make up payments and show a budget. She said her agency can help with this.

- A big red flag is someone knocking on your door, sending you letters about foreclosure rescue.

- Ms. Jiles' office number is (706) 724-8588. A national hot line -- (888) 995-HOPE -- is available 24 hours daily and has established relationships with many lenders that will help you get into negotiations as soon as possible.

JEFF LEDFORD, THE REAL ESTATE commissioner for the Georgia Real Estate Commission:

- Deal with licensed agents or brokers; you can search their Web site (www.greab.state.ga. us) to find or verify a licensed agent/broker and appraiser.

- A licensed broker must follow the state's ethical guidelines that prohibit acts that would constitute unfair trade practices, such as misrepresent a personal interest in a transaction.

- Learn the process of a proper sale and ensure the necessary people are involved: closing attorney, appraiser and title insurance company.

ROD CARNES, A DEPUTY commissioner at Georgia's Department of Banking and Finance who oversees non-depository financial institutions:

- If you go to a mortgage broker, he must ensure you get the proper disclosures -- a good-faith estimate of the loan costs, how much his fee will be and details about the loan, such as whether it is a high-cost loan and what fees and percentage rate will be charged.

- As with any purchase, it pays to shop around. Check rates listed in the newspaper. Check brokers through the state's Web page (dbf.georgia.gov) to verify license and see whether there has been any disciplinary action.

- Know your credit rating, because it has a huge effect on what kind of loan you can get and how much it will cost.