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If you’re behind on your mortgage and state assistance is unavailable, delayed, or not enough, contact your mortgage servicer now and ask about loss mitigation for your specific loan. You may be able to arrange a repayment plan, forbearance, loan modification, payment deferral, or another solution; if keeping the home is not feasible, ask about a short sale or deed-in-lieu. A free HUD-approved housing counselor can help you understand the choices and prepare paperwork. What is available depends on your loan, hardship, finances, and location—not every option fits every borrower.
What should I do first if state mortgage assistance is not available?
Start with the company that collects your mortgage payment, usually called the servicer. State programs are only one possible source of help; they do not replace the servicer’s review of options for your loan. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) advises homeowners who cannot pay or expect to miss a payment to call the mortgage servicer right away.
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- Call the servicer using a trusted number. Check your monthly statement or the servicer’s official website. Ask for the mortgage assistance or loss-mitigation department, and request the application and instructions for submitting it.
- Describe the hardship clearly. Explain whether the problem is temporary or ongoing, what caused it, and whether you expect to resume the regular payment. Be ready to discuss household income, expenses, and assets. The servicer needs current information to assess which options may fit.
- Submit what is requested and keep records. Save the application, supporting documents, delivery confirmations, and every response. Note the date, name or department of anyone you speak with, and any stated next step. If something is missing, ask exactly what and how to provide it.
- Contact a HUD-approved housing counselor. A counselor can help you review options, organize paperwork, and communicate with the mortgage company at no cost. Find a counselor through the HUD-approved agency directory or the CFPB’s mortgage help page. The CFPB also lists the HOPE hotline at 888-995-HOPE.
- Get legal help promptly if foreclosure is close or papers have arrived. Court documents and notices can involve deadlines that depend on the state and the circumstances. A foreclosure attorney or legal aid organization can explain the implications. Do not assume that calling the servicer, applying for help, or filing a CFPB complaint automatically pauses a foreclosure.
State programs, application windows, and foreclosure rules change. If you want to check another state or local resource, use the CFPB’s state housing agency directory and confirm current details directly with the agency. But do not wait for a state application to resolve before contacting the servicer.
Which mortgage alternatives might fit my situation?
The practical dividing line is often whether you can afford the regular payment again, and whether keeping the home is realistic. Ask the servicer to explain the options available for your loan, then compare the payment, duration, total amount owed, and consequences if circumstances change.
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| Option | May fit when… | What to clarify in writing |
|---|---|---|
| Repayment plan | The hardship has eased and you can afford an extra amount temporarily. | Added payment, length of plan, delinquency status, and what happens if you miss a plan payment. |
| Forbearance | The hardship is temporary and you need a temporary reduction or pause. | Start and end dates, payments due during the period, and the exit plan for missed amounts. |
| Payment deferral or partial claim | You can resume the regular payment but cannot immediately repay arrears; program rules allow it. | Amount deferred, any subordinate lien, and when repayment is triggered. |
| Loan modification | The current payment is not sustainable and you want to keep the home. | New terms, payment, costs, balance treatment, and any trial or approval requirements. |
| Refinance | You qualify for a new loan that pays off the existing mortgage. | Qualification, closing costs, new payment, and total cost. Recent missed payments may make qualification difficult. |
| Short sale | Keeping the home is not feasible and the servicer agrees to a sale below the balance. | Approval conditions and whether you remain responsible for any unpaid balance. |
| Deed-in-lieu | Keeping the home is not feasible and the lender or servicer agrees to accept title. | Transfer conditions and whether any obligations remain afterward. |
The CFPB’s overview of mortgage options describes these paths, but a general list is not an offer or a guarantee of eligibility. Options depend on the loan program, servicer review, and your circumstances.
What is the difference between a repayment plan and forbearance?
A repayment plan collects some of the past-due amount in addition to your regular payment over a limited period. Forbearance temporarily reduces or pauses payments; it does not automatically forgive what you missed.
For a repayment plan, compare the proposed monthly amount with your actual budget. A plan that is technically offered but unaffordable may leave you further behind if you agree and then cannot keep up. Ask how many months it lasts, how much is added to each payment, whether fees or other amounts are included, and what happens after a missed plan payment. The CFPB explains how a mortgage repayment plan works.
Forbearance can create breathing room during a temporary income disruption, but it is essential to know how the missed payments will be handled afterward. Do not assume the full amount will be due as a lump sum, and do not assume it will be waived. Ask for the arrangement and exit terms in writing before agreeing. The CFPB’s guidance on exiting forbearance describes possible approaches and stresses that the available choices vary.
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Loan program matters. The CFPB says Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac do not require a lump-sum payment at the end of forbearance, but that rule should not be generalized to every loan. Other agencies and loan types may have different options. Ask who owns, guarantees, or insures your loan and which rules apply; then confirm the specific exit arrangement with the servicer.
When can a deferral, partial claim, or modification help?
These options can help when a borrower needs a lasting way to address arrears or an unaffordable payment, but they work differently and are program-specific.
- Deferral: Some missed amounts may be moved to the end of the loan or otherwise postponed, while the borrower resumes the regular payment. Ask whether interest or other costs apply and what event requires repayment.
- Partial claim: Under some programs, the arrears may be placed in a subordinate lien rather than added to the immediate monthly payment. The lien may become payable when the home is sold, refinanced, or the loan otherwise terminates. Confirm the precise trigger, amount, and lien terms.
- Modification: A modification permanently changes one or more loan terms. Depending on the program and review, that could affect the rate, term, balance, or payment. Request the complete proposed terms and any costs, and make sure you understand whether the change is temporary, conditional, or final.
Do not treat a lower immediate payment as proof that a solution is affordable over time. Ask how the new arrangement affects the monthly obligation, the total amount owed, and any future payoff. A counselor can help review the paperwork, but only the servicer or applicable program can confirm the offer and eligibility.
FHA-insured mortgages have program-specific options. HUD announced updated permanent options for servicers of FHA-insured single-family mortgages in February 2025, including retention and home-disposition tools tailored to borrower circumstances. That announcement is not a promise that an individual homeowner qualifies, and it does not establish options for all mortgages. See HUD’s announcement and ask the servicer for current FHA guidance.
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What if keeping the home is no longer possible?
If the payment cannot be made sustainable, ask the servicer about orderly ways to sell or transfer the home rather than assuming foreclosure is the only outcome. A short sale or deed-in-lieu may be considered, but each requires agreement and written terms.
In a short sale, the home is sold for less than the mortgage balance with the servicer’s approval. Before accepting an offer or closing, get clear written answers about whether the servicer will release its lien and whether you remain liable for any unpaid balance. A deed-in-lieu transfers title to the lender or servicer under agreed conditions instead of completing foreclosure. Ask what happens to any remaining debt or other obligations, and do not sign a title-transfer document without understanding its effect.
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Does the loan type or state change my options?
Yes. The loan’s owner, guarantor, or insurer can affect what loss-mitigation options the servicer may offer, and state law affects foreclosure procedures and deadlines. The CFPB notes that options may remain available through a servicer or state even if a loan is not backed by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, or the federal government, but the available choices differ.
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Ask the servicer to identify the loan’s investor or program and explain which review rules apply. If the answer is unclear, ask for the information in writing and bring it to a HUD-approved counselor. Do not assume another homeowner’s result applies to your loan just because the hardship looks similar.
For state assistance, check the housing finance agency directly for current program status, funding, eligibility, and application windows. National guidance cannot settle local deadlines or eligibility. The CFPB’s mortgage help resources provide a directory of state housing agencies and other homeowner support.
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How can I avoid mortgage-relief scams?
Be wary of anyone who demands an upfront fee, guarantees they can stop foreclosure or change your loan terms, pressures you to sign documents or transfer title, or tells you to stop paying your servicer. Those are warning signs identified by the CFPB. Free HUD-approved counseling is an alternative to paying a supposed rescue company for basic help.
Do not hand over account credentials, sign over the deed, or stop communicating with the servicer because a third party says it will take care of everything. Verify contact information independently, read every document, and have a counselor or attorney review anything you do not understand. If the servicer is not responding or you believe there is a problem, the CFPB explains how homeowners can seek help and submit a complaint through its mortgage help page. A complaint can report an issue, but filing one does not itself stop or delay foreclosure.
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What should I ask the servicer before accepting an option?
Get the proposal and its consequences in writing. These questions can make the comparison more concrete:
- What loss-mitigation options are available for my specific loan, and what application or documents do you need?
- What is the exact monthly payment, how long does it last, and when would the first payment be due?
- How will the past-due amount be handled: paid over time, deferred, placed in a lien, included in a modified balance, or addressed another way?
- Will the arrangement change my loan balance, interest, maturity date, or any lien against the property?
- What happens if I cannot make a payment under the proposed plan or my hardship continues?
- Does accepting this option affect other available options, and is there a trial period or additional approval step?
- Who owns, guarantees, or insures my loan, and which program rules govern this offer?
- If a sale or title transfer is proposed, will I owe any remaining balance or have other obligations after closing?
There is no single best alternative for every homeowner. The useful next step is a documented review based on your current budget, the loan’s program, and whether the home can be kept sustainably. A counselor can help you ask the right questions, while a lawyer is important when deadlines, court papers, or legal consequences are involved.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I still get mortgage help if my loan is not backed by the federal government?
Possibly. The CFPB says options may remain available through a mortgage servicer or a state even when a loan is not federally backed, but the applicable choices and rules differ. Ask the servicer to identify the loan program and review the options for that loan.
Will filing a CFPB complaint stop a foreclosure?
No. A complaint can report a problem with a mortgage company, but it does not automatically pause a foreclosure or extend a court deadline. If legal papers have arrived or a sale may be imminent, contact an attorney or legal aid promptly.
Is mortgage counseling really free?
HUD-approved housing counseling to help homeowners understand mortgage options and work with a servicer is available at no cost. Use the HUD directory or CFPB mortgage-help resources to find an approved agency rather than paying an unsolicited foreclosure-rescue company.
Can a mortgage servicer make me pay all forbearance amounts at once?
The answer depends on the loan and the applicable program; there is no universal exit rule for every mortgage. The CFPB says Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac do not require a lump-sum payment at the end of forbearance, while options for other loans vary. Confirm your own written exit terms with the servicer.
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