EARLY RELIEF?: As those of you who follow this site already know, a recent $25 Billion settlement between the nation's five major mortgage lenders and 49 of the 500 states has opened up the possibility of opportunities to avoid foreclosure through a variety of ways. One immediate problem for homeowners who might otherwise qualify, but are already in the foreclosure process: if you get foreclosed before the July 1, 2012 start date for the settlement, the options there available do you no good! It'll be as if they didn't exist. With this in mind, the mayors of four California cities: San Francisco, Sacramento, Fresno and San Jose are sending a joint public letter to the five lending institutions asking them to briefly create a moratorium on any loans currently undergoing foreclosure proceedings if those loans would otherwise qualify for the relief envisioned in the settlement. The requested moratorium would only be until the July 1 start date of the settlement process. For more info, call the offices of any of these mayors. As always, Good Luck.