Before a missed payment
Contact the servicer early and ask which loss-mitigation options match a temporary or lasting income change.
Mortgage and Foreclosure Help
Understand loss-mitigation choices, prepare a complete assistance package, and find HUD-participating housing counseling.
Find a relevant help route
What to do first when mortgage trouble starts
Foreclosure rules and timelines vary by state and loan type. The safest general move is to contact the servicer early, keep copies, and use a HUD participating housing counselor for individualized help. If the payment is not late yet, begin with mortgage help before a missed payment.
Three stages of mortgage hardship
Use the stage that matches the problem today.
After delinquency begins
Track arrears, document requests, and the payment required under each proposed option.
After a legal or sale notice
Separate servicer work from court and sale deadlines. Add a HUD participating counselor and local legal help when needed.
Fix account records without losing the deadline
Start with the document or account that determines the next action.
Payment, fee, or escrow error
A phone call can start the conversation, but a focused written record may create a clearer investigation trail. Use the mortgage-servicing error letter guide to identify the entry, evidence, address, and response dates.
Mortgage and foreclosure decision guides
Start with the guide closest to your current deadline or decision.
Mortgage Help Before You Miss a Payment
What to ask your mortgage servicer before delinquency and how to compare early assistance choices.
4 min · Reviewed October 20, 2026What to Do After the First Foreclosure Notice
A deadline-focused response plan for notices, servicer records, legal help, and housing counseling.
5 min · Reviewed October 20, 2026Mortgage Loss-Mitigation Options Compared
A side-by-side framework for forbearance, repayment plans, deferral, and loan modification.
4 min · Reviewed October 20, 2026Mortgage Servicing Error Letter: Build the Evidence File
Document a mortgage payment, fee, escrow, or foreclosure-status problem and send a focused notice to the servicer's designated address.
8 min · Reviewed October 20, 2026Need independent housing help?
HUD says foreclosure, eviction, and homeless counseling through participating agencies is always free. Search the official directory or call 800-569-4287.