With the risk of foreclosure in an unstable market, renting seems to be the best option. But wait, while the folks over in Washington are up to their armpits trying to entertain the right solution to aid the troubled homeowners, what about the rights of the renters that have paid their rent on time, lived up to their leasing agreements, and are still being evicted due to a foreclosed mortgage that they knew nothing about?

Families all over the country don't even see it coming! They come home from a day of Christmas shopping to find an eviction notice slapped on the front door of their home with a 7 day notice to vacate the premises. These tenants rights need to be protected. On Oct 8, 2008, Sheriff Dart of Cook County, Illinois stated that he would no longer evict tenants from properties that have foreclosed, stating that "We will no longer be a party to something that's so unjust." The country needs more Sheriff Darts!

Some of the members in Congress are working on a plan with the Federal Housing Financing Agency (FHFA) to require lenders to allow tenants to stay in their homes even after the homeowner has foreclosed on the mortgage, as long as the rent is up to date. Although the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act was designed to do just that, some lenders aren't abiding with this new law.

My personal thoughts on this are to give these tenants the opportunity to purchase the home, and if they choose not to buy they should be allowed to continue to pay their rent until their lease is up. This would not only aid in the rising foreclosure crisis, but would help to keep these innocent families in their homes. Nearly 400 homes were scheduled to be sold in auction last week alone in Hillsborough County; I can't help but wonder how many families were evicted due to someone else's negligence?