One Brower woman made a life or death decision when she lost her home to foreclosure. The mortgage holder and movers came to repossess Heather Newnam’s home this past Monday. They all arrived at the house at 1 p.m., and informed her that she was being evicted.

Newnam said that she would leave the residence after she secured her dogs. When she never came out, SWAT was called to the scene to convince the woman to exit the home.

The standoff lasted three hours before SWAT finally entered the home to find the woman on the floor dead. Broward Sheriff Officials stated that she died from a “single, self-inflicted gunshot wound.”

For some, a home is more than a residence, and a foreclosure is more than an end to a mortgage. They become an achievement failed and a loss unbearable.

Don’t let yourself lose hope if you’ve lost your home to foreclosure. You are not alone. Florida ranks second in the nation for foreclosures. Miami-Dade and Brower Counties lead the state in foreclosures.

Statistics show that foreclosures have increased in both counties by almost 90% from last year. That translates into one in every 78 homes in Miami-Dade and one in every 86 in Brower in foreclosure.

Although it may appear that all is lost, it doesn’t mean that it is. It also doesn’t mean that you can’t start over again someday. Many have even looked at the situation as a new start. They were upside down in their homes, anyway, and the foreclosure gave them the chance to begin again. Of course, that’s not true for everyone.

Countless families have experienced unemployment, which is at an all-time high in the nation today. Long-term unemployment has led to many a foreclosure. Foreclosure can lead to hopelessness. In Newnam’s case, it led to her suicide.

Don’t let this happen to you. If you are approaching foreclosure or are in foreclosure, check out new programs offered by the federal government. One of them might be just right for you. Here are some that you may be eligible for:

• Fannie Mae

• Freddie Mac

• Hope for Homeowners