What Else Can We Do??

When our child got sick and we were living in 2 places at once, my husband and I got in way over our heads. In April 2001, we voluntarily gave up our home which still shows as a foreclosure. Our credit cards were/are more than maxed out and have not even been paid on in 3 years because we now cannot afford to make those payments. We went to several of those credit counseling places and every single one of them told us it would just be best if we filed bankruptcy, that there was nothing they could do for us. We have NOT filed bankruptcy.
We are now back in a position where we want to purchase a house again. However, those credit cards and the forelcosure are still out there hanging over our heads and we can't get a mortgage without paying those off (which we will never be able to do). Any suggestions you have would be great.
Thanks.

 

Yes we can afford a house. In the area where we live now a house payment is less than renting. The credit cards just got too far out of hand is the reason we can't pay them back. As I said, I had to stay with my child while he was sick in one city while my husband stayed in another and continued to work. Now that our son is better, we're both living in the same house and don't have double expenses. The problem is, when I tried to work with these companies, they refused to do anything but their way and it isn't an option for us to do that with every single one. One at a time we could have done but that wasn't an option for THEM.