If your mortgage payment has become unaffordable, call your mortgage servicer immediately and ask for the mortgage-assistance or loss-mitigation process. Do not wait for several missed payments. Explain whether the hardship is temporary or likely to continue, provide the requested financial information, and ask which options fit your loan. At the same time, contact a HUD-approved housing counselor. A counselor can help you understand the servicer’s choices and prepare the application.
Your available relief, deadlines, and risk depend on your state, loan type, investor, hardship, delinquency status, and any legal notice you have received. No option is automatic. Treat this as general U.S. information, not individualized legal, tax, or financial advice.
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Take these steps as soon as you know the payment will not be affordable
1. Call the mortgage servicer
The servicer is the company that sends your mortgage statement or collects your payment. Its phone number is on the statement. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) guidance says to call as soon as you are worried about missing a payment; if the servicer calls you, respond rather than screening the call.
Tell the representative why the payment is unaffordable and whether the problem is temporary or expected to continue. Be prepared to discuss household income, regular and unusual expenses, assets, and any relevant military permanent-change-of-station orders. Ask to be transferred to the mortgage-assistance, loss-mitigation, or home-retention department.
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Use the call to obtain specific instructions:
- What assistance or loss-mitigation applications are available for this loan?
- Which documents and explanations must be submitted?
- Where should the application be sent, and how will receipt be confirmed?
- What payment is currently due, including any late charges?
- How does the servicer handle a partial payment—hold it, return it, or apply it in a particular way?
- What is the contact method for checking whether anything is missing?
Do not assume that sending a partial amount will protect you from delinquency or that it will be applied in the way you expect. Ask before sending less than the amount shown as due.
2. Request and return the assistance application promptly
Complete every part of the application and return requested materials by the stated deadline. Keep a complete copy of what you send, the transmission confirmation, dates, names or identification numbers of representatives, and notes about every conversation. Follow up if the servicer says a document is missing or unreadable. An incomplete file can delay a review.
Continue reading every statement and letter while the application is under review. A request for help does not by itself cancel payments, collection activity, or a legal deadline. Ask the servicer in writing what payments are expected during the review and how any approved relief will affect the account.
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3. Contact a HUD-approved housing counselor
CFPB describes foreclosure-prevention counseling as free or available at little or no cost. A HUD-approved counselor can assess your budget, explain possible servicer options, help organize paperwork, and communicate with the mortgage company. The CFPB-listed HOPE Hotline is 888-995-HOPE (4673), and HUD counselor referrals are available at 800-569-4287; confirm the current phone details when you call.
Start with the servicer and a HUD-approved counselor rather than a company that promises a guaranteed rescue. Counseling does not guarantee approval, but it can help you submit a complete request and recognize deadlines.
4. Get legal help if foreclosure is close or papers have been served
If you have received a foreclosure notice, summons, complaint, sale notice, or other legal paper, consult a local attorney promptly. Response deadlines and foreclosure procedures are controlled largely by state law and the facts of your case. Bring the notice, mortgage documents, payment history, and all servicer correspondence. A counselor can help you locate resources, but legal advice is necessary for a court case or a deadline requiring a formal response.
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Prepare the information the servicer and counselor will need
Before the call or appointment, assemble a clear picture of the hardship. Write a short explanation of what changed, when it changed, and whether you expect the change to end. Examples include a job loss, reduced hours, illness, separation, major expense, or relocation order. Do not exaggerate or omit material facts.
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- Income: list current household income and any income that has ended or fallen.
- Expenses: identify essential living costs and obligations that compete with the mortgage payment.
- Assets: note available savings and other assets the application asks about.
- Mortgage facts: have the latest statement, loan number, current payment, and any delinquency or late-fee information available.
- Notices: gather collection letters, default notices, foreclosure documents, and prior assistance decisions.
- Military orders: provide relevant permanent-change-of-station information if it affects the hardship or property.
Keep one dated log of calls, submissions, promised follow-ups, and deadlines. This record helps you identify misunderstandings early and gives a counselor or attorney a usable timeline.
Ask the servicer about every potentially relevant option
CFPB guidance identifies refinance, loan modification, repayment plan, forbearance, short sale, and deed-in-lieu of foreclosure as possible paths. The servicer, loan documents, and investor rules determine what is actually available. Ask for the written terms and the consequences before accepting anything.
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| Option | What it may do | Questions to ask | Important trade-offs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Refinance | Replaces the existing loan with a new loan that might reduce the monthly payment. | Could I qualify with my current income, credit, equity, and debt? What would the new rate, payment, term, closing costs, and total repayment be? | Approval is not guaranteed. A lower payment can result from a longer term or different interest cost, and closing costs may be added. |
| Loan modification | Changes one or more existing loan terms to make the payment more affordable. | Which term changes are proposed? What happens to the unpaid amounts, interest, fees, balance, and maturity date? Is the new payment sustainable? | The balance or repayment period may increase. Obtain the complete written agreement and understand when the change becomes permanent. |
| Repayment plan | Adds overdue amounts to regular payments over an agreed period. | How much extra will be due each month, for how many months, and what happens if the higher payment is unaffordable? | The regular payment rises temporarily. It may not solve an income reduction that is expected to continue. |
| Forbearance | Temporarily pauses or reduces payments. | How long does it last? Does interest or a fee accrue? Is the missed amount due as a lump sum, added to the loan, spread over payments, or handled another way? | A pause is not forgiveness. The postponed amount still requires an agreed repayment method unless the written terms say otherwise. |
| Short sale | Allows a sale for less than the mortgage debt if the servicer approves the transaction. | Must the sale be approved before listing or accepting an offer? What happens to the remaining balance, and will the approval release me from it? | You give up the home. Any deficiency, tax consequence, or other obligation must be addressed in writing and with appropriate professional advice. |
| Deed-in-lieu of foreclosure | Transfers ownership to the lender to resolve the default without completing a foreclosure sale. | What debts and liens must be cleared? Will the lender waive any remaining balance? When must I move, and what condition requirements apply? | You surrender the property. The transfer does not automatically eliminate every obligation, so require written terms. |
Compare proposals using the questions that affect your future budget
There is no universal CFPB ranking of these options. Compare each written proposal against the same criteria:
- Housing: Do you remain in the home, and for how long?
- Payment: What is the new monthly amount, and can your verified budget support it after the relief period?
- Missed amounts: How are arrears, interest, escrow shortages, and fees handled?
- Total cost: What will you repay over the full term, and is the term extended?
- Ownership and debt: Do you retain title, and could a balance remain after a sale or transfer?
- Eligibility: What conditions, documents, trial payments, or approvals are required?
- Timing: How does the proposal interact with a state foreclosure deadline or a pending sale?
Ask the servicer to explain unfamiliar terms and to provide the decision and payment schedule in writing. A counselor can help you compare the proposal with your actual income and expenses. Do not accept a plan merely because it lowers the next payment if the later payment, total cost, or remaining balance is unmanageable.
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Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Understand the 120-day foreclosure rule without treating it as a waiting period
Under the general federal rule described in CFPB guidance current in 2026, a servicer generally cannot make the first foreclosure notice or filing until you are more than 120 days behind on mortgage payments. This is a threshold for the first legal step, not a promise that you have 120 days to delay contacting the servicer.
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Once legal proceedings begin, the time to an actual foreclosure sale varies by state and by whether the process is judicial or nonjudicial. Bankruptcy, loss-mitigation activity, court orders, military protections, and other facts can affect timing, but you should not assume any of them applies without qualified advice. State rules also determine how and when you must respond to papers.
Use the time before a legal filing to submit a complete assistance request, seek counseling, and obtain legal advice when needed. If a sale date or court deadline appears on a notice, treat that date as urgent even if you are negotiating with the servicer.
Recognize foreclosure-rescue scams
CFPB warns about companies that exploit homeowners in distress. Be especially cautious of anyone who:
- demands an upfront fee before providing a promised result;
- guarantees that it can save your home, stop foreclosure, or change your loan;
- claims to be affiliated with the government without verifiable authority;
- tells you to stop paying the servicer or to send payments to a different person or account;
- asks you to sign over title, ownership, or documents you do not understand; or
- pressures you to sign immediately or discourages you from contacting the servicer, a counselor, or an attorney.
Do not pay a private company upfront for a promise of foreclosure relief. Independently verify any organization, read every document, and keep control of your payments and title. Begin with the servicer and a HUD-approved counseling agency.
If the home is no longer affordable, discuss an orderly exit
If a sustainable payment cannot be achieved, ask the counselor and servicer to evaluate a short sale or deed-in-lieu rather than ignoring the account until foreclosure. These choices involve leaving the home and may leave financial, tax, or credit consequences. Require written answers about any remaining debt, approval conditions, moving requirements, and release of liability. Consult an attorney or tax professional when those consequences are unclear.
A practical action checklist
- Call the number on your mortgage statement and state that the payment is unaffordable.
- Explain whether the hardship is temporary or ongoing and provide accurate income, expense, asset, and relevant military-order information.
- Request the mortgage-assistance or loss-mitigation application and written submission instructions.
- Ask how partial payments are handled and what is due while an application is reviewed.
- Submit a complete package promptly, retain copies, and track every date and contact.
- Contact a HUD-approved housing counselor through 888-995-HOPE (4673) or HUD’s referral line at 800-569-4287, confirming current details.
- Read every notice and meet every stated deadline.
- If legal papers or a sale date arrive, contact a local attorney immediately.
- Reject upfront-fee guarantees, payment-redirection instructions, and requests to sign away title.
The CFPB’s direct advice is simple: “If you can’t pay your mortgage or are worried about missing a mortgage payment, call your mortgage servicer right away.” Acting promptly preserves more opportunities to review a solution while avoiding preventable delays and scams.
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