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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchIf you may miss a U.S. mortgage payment, contact your mortgage servicer immediately—using the number on your monthly statement—and ask for loss-mitigation help. Explain whether the hardship is temporary or ongoing, provide your income, expenses and assets, and request the available options in writing. A HUD-approved housing counselor can help at no cost or little cost. Do not wait for foreclosure notices: federal servicing rules generally prevent the legal foreclosure process from starting until you are at least 120 days delinquent, but the later timeline varies by state and early contact gives you more time to apply for help.
What to do before you miss a payment
Call the servicer as soon as you know the scheduled payment may be unaffordable. The servicer is the company that sends your mortgage bill or accepts the payment; it may be different from the lender named in your closing documents. Use the telephone number printed on the latest statement, not a number supplied by an unsolicited caller.
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- Describe the hardship. Say what changed, when it began, and whether you expect the problem to end. Job loss, reduced hours, illness, a major expense, divorce, disaster damage or a military permanent-change-of-station order can affect the assistance review.
- Give a realistic financial snapshot. Have recent pay information or benefit statements, bank and investment balances, monthly expenses, tax information and the mortgage account details available. The servicer may ask for a written hardship explanation.
- Ask for the loss-mitigation application and instructions. Request the forms, document checklist, submission method and a written explanation of every option for which you may be evaluated. Ask who will handle the file and how to check its status.
- Keep a record. Save the application, every document sent, delivery confirmation, names of representatives, dates, reference numbers and promised follow-up dates. Continue making any payment you can afford unless the servicer gives different written instructions; ask how a partial payment will be handled.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) says that a complete application submitted early enough triggers an evaluation and notice of applicable options under the servicing rules that apply to the loan. “If you can’t pay your mortgage or are worried about missing a mortgage payment, call your mortgage servicer right away,” the CFPB says on its consumer guidance page, last reviewed August 28, 2026.
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Get independent help from a HUD-approved counselor
A HUD-approved housing counseling agency can review your budget, explain unfamiliar mortgage terms, help assemble paperwork and, with your permission, communicate with the servicer. CFPB describes foreclosure-prevention counseling as free; other services may be free or low cost. A counselor cannot guarantee that you will keep the home or that a servicer will approve a particular solution.
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The CFPB lists the HOPE Hotline at (888) 995-HOPE (4673), available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and provides an official counselor-finder directory. Verify the current telephone number and directory details when you call. If you have already been served with court papers or a sale appears imminent, ask the counselor whether you should also consult an attorney.
Mortgage-relief options to discuss
These are possible loss-mitigation routes, not guaranteed offers. Eligibility, payment calculations and documentation depend on the loan, the owner or investor of the loan, the servicer’s procedures and applicable law. Before accepting any plan, obtain its terms in writing and test whether the payment remains affordable after the relief period.
| Option | What changes now | Questions to answer before accepting |
|---|---|---|
| Forbearance | Payments may be temporarily paused or reduced. | When and how must the missed amount be repaid? Is it added to the balance, due at the end, or spread over later payments? What are the exit requirements, interest effects and consequences of missing a reduced payment? |
| Repayment plan | Overdue amounts are spread across future payments. | What will the new monthly amount be, for how many months, and can your budget sustain it? What happens if you cannot complete the plan? |
| Loan modification | Loan terms may be changed to address long-term affordability. | Will the interest rate, term, principal balance or payment change? How much will be owed overall, and when does the modified payment begin? |
| Refinance | A new loan may replace the existing mortgage. | Is approval realistic given your income, credit, equity and delinquency? What are the rate, closing costs, term, payment and total repayment? A refinance is not automatically available to a borrower already in distress. |
| Short sale | The home is sold for less than the mortgage balance, with lender or servicer approval. | Will the approval release you from any remaining balance, or could a deficiency remain? Ask about tax, credit, relocation and timing consequences before listing or signing. |
| Deed-in-lieu of foreclosure | You voluntarily transfer the home to the lender or owner to avoid a foreclosure sale. | Will the transfer fully resolve the debt? What liens, tax issues, credit effects, move-out date and relocation assistance apply? |
Forbearance is not forgiveness
A pause or reduction can create breathing room, but the skipped amounts generally still have to be addressed. Ask for the exact repayment method and the payment required when the arrangement ends. Do not rely on a verbal statement that the debt will simply disappear.
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Repayment plans can restore the account but raise the payment
A plan that adds arrears to regular installments may cure the delinquency without selling the home. Calculate the resulting payment alongside property taxes, insurance, utilities, childcare, transportation and other debts. Ask whether the servicer will report the plan and what happens after a missed plan installment.
Modification targets an ongoing affordability problem
If income has permanently fallen or expenses have increased, a modification may be more suitable than a short pause. The servicer may change the rate, term or other loan features. Compare the new monthly payment with the total amount repaid over the life of the loan, including any capitalized arrears or fees.
Leaving the home requires a written debt resolution
A short sale or deed-in-lieu may be appropriate when keeping the property is not sustainable. Neither automatically answers whether you will owe a deficiency, pay taxes on forgiven debt or experience a particular credit impact. Obtain the approval letter and have an attorney or qualified tax professional review consequences that apply in your state.
Compare proposals using the same questions
When the servicer presents alternatives, place each proposal side by side. A plan that offers the smallest immediate payment may create the largest long-term balance, while a plan that keeps the home may not be affordable after a temporary period.
- Home: Do you keep ownership and occupancy, and for how long?
- Immediate relief: Is the payment paused, reduced or unchanged while the application is reviewed?
- Future payment: What is the exact monthly principal, interest, taxes, insurance and association amount?
- Total debt: How are arrears, interest, escrow advances, fees and legal costs treated?
- Timing: When must the application be complete, when will a decision arrive, and when does the new payment start?
- Consequences: What will be reported to credit bureaus, and could a remaining balance or tax liability result?
- Affordability test: Can you make the payment after the relief period using conservative income assumptions?
When foreclosure can start and why 120 days matters
CFPB guidance says the legal foreclosure process generally cannot begin until a borrower is at least 120 days delinquent. This is a general federal servicing baseline, not a promise that you can safely wait 120 days, and it does not set the date of a foreclosure sale. Once the legal process starts, the period to sale varies substantially by state and by the case.
Other consequences can occur before a sale, including collection calls, late charges, credit reporting and legal fees. A complete loss-mitigation application submitted early enough may affect how the servicer evaluates or proceeds with the account under applicable rules. Contact the servicer and a counselor immediately rather than treating 120 days as a deadline to begin.
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Identify who backs or owns the mortgage
Ask the servicer who owns or guarantees the loan and which program rules apply. CFPB directs borrowers to resources for Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, FHA or HUD, USDA and VA loans. Those programs can have different eligibility tests and application routes. If the mortgage is not backed by one of those programs, still ask the servicer about its own options and check whether your state offers assistance. A non-government-backed loan is not automatically ineligible for relief.
If you receive legal papers or a sale notice
- Read every page and record the date received. Court documents and notices can contain response deadlines that are shorter than the overall foreclosure timeline.
- Contact the servicer’s loss-mitigation department and a HUD-approved counselor the same day. Tell them exactly what you received and ask how it affects a pending application.
- Consider an attorney. CFPB specifically recommends considering legal advice when papers are served or foreclosure is imminent. State procedures, defenses and deadlines were not addressed by the general federal guidance, so local advice is important.
- Attend required hearings or respond as instructed. Ignoring papers does not stop the case and can eliminate opportunities to raise issues or negotiate.
Recognize foreclosure-rescue scams
Legitimate help starts with your servicer or an official HUD-approved counselor. CFPB warns that “You should not have to pay anyone to help you avoid foreclosure.” Treat the following as danger signs:
- An upfront fee or a demand for money before any service is performed.
- A guarantee that a company will obtain a modification or stop foreclosure.
- Instructions to stop paying the servicer, send payments to an unfamiliar account or pay an individual instead.
- A request to sign over the deed or title, transfer ownership, or sign documents you do not understand.
- Pressure to act immediately, refusal to provide written terms, or claims that the caller can override the servicer or court.
Do not sign a deed, power of attorney or settlement you do not understand. Verify a counselor through the CFPB’s official directory and use the number on your mortgage statement to confirm any payment instructions.
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Build a practical hardship file
Organizing information before the servicer requests it can reduce delays. Keep a single folder—digital or paper—with:
- The mortgage statement, loan number, property address and servicer contact history.
- Recent pay stubs, benefit letters, tax returns and proof of any new income.
- Bank and investment statements and a list of other debts.
- A monthly budget separating essential living costs from discretionary spending.
- Evidence of the hardship, such as an employer notice, medical bill, insurance claim or military orders.
- Copies of every form, attachment, upload confirmation and letter sent or received.
Submit complete, legible documents in the requested format and keep proof of delivery. If circumstances change, update the servicer promptly rather than sending conflicting estimates.
Choose a next step based on the type of problem
A short-term cash interruption
If income should resume soon, ask about forbearance or a repayment arrangement and obtain the end date and catch-up schedule in writing. Reserve part of the expected future income for the resumed payment instead of assuming the missed amount will be waived.
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A permanent income reduction
Request a modification review and compare it with selling the property. A counselor can help calculate an affordable payment using stable income, not an optimistic forecast. If the home cannot be kept, ask about an approved short sale or deed-in-lieu and insist on written treatment of any remaining debt.
An unaffordable home despite available equity
Ask whether a sale before foreclosure could preserve equity and provide a controlled move. Do not list the property or accept an offer without understanding the servicer’s approval process, payoff amount and deadlines.
Bottom line
Call the servicer now, apply for loss mitigation, and involve a HUD-approved counselor. Compare the written payment, total debt, timing and consequences of each proposal; do not assume forbearance erases missed payments or that 120 days gives a safe waiting period. If court papers arrive, obtain local legal advice and meet every stated deadline. Use only verified official contacts and never pay an upfront fee or transfer your title to a company promising a guaranteed rescue.
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