It only seems as if the housing slump, and the national recession that followed it, have been going on forever. The housing slowdown, though, didn't start until the middle of 2006 or so.

The problem is, when you read the newspapers or listen to the radio, it's hard to remember that there was a time when the housing market wasn't just doing well, it was booming. There were times when people were buying houses with the sole intent of quickly selling them at higher prices. Everyone, it seemed, was making big money in residential real estate.

Today, that's all changed. And the writers at the Washington Post were kind enough to remind us of this yet again this morning. They ran a story today pointing out that the nation's rising unemployment rates helps push a record number of homeowners into either mortgage delinquency or foreclosure.

According to the Post story, about 12.07 percent of the nation's mortgage loans were either delinquent or in foreclosure in the first quarter of this year. This marks the highest this figure, recorded by the Mortgage Bankers Association, has been since 1972, the year the association first began tracking it. It is also 8 percent higher than it was in the first quarter of 2008.

Foreclosure is one terrifying process. Imagine the thought of you and your family suddenly losing your home. I can't even imagine the fear and shame that foreclosure means to homeowners.

The only piece of advice I can give to people facing foreclosure is this: If you start falling behind on your mortgage payments, don't hesitate to contact your mortgage lender. I know it's a tough call to make, but your lender does not want you to lose your house. Your lender will do whatever it can to work out a new payment plan or some other solution to keep you and your family in your house.

The worst thing you can do is to do nothing. Then you'll certainly lose that home of yours.