Received a Notice of Default or Foreclosure Notice

Treat it as urgent

Identify every response deadline, sale date, trustee/court reference and servicer contact.

Call servicer

Ask for foreclosure/loss mitigation and the status of any assistance application.

Independent help

Contact a HUD-approved housing counselor and qualified state-specific legal help when legal deadlines, a lawsuit or foreclosure defense is involved.

State law

Do not rely on a generic nationwide foreclosure timeline.

Confirm status

Never assume a pending review automatically cancels a sale date or legal deadline.

Action checklist

Call the servicer; identify the investor/agency; explain the hardship; ask what makes the application complete; save proof of every submission; open every letter; write down foreclosure and response deadlines; and contact a HUD-approved housing counselor. If a sale, lawsuit, bankruptcy issue or legal deadline exists, seek qualified state-specific legal help promptly.

Questions to ask the servicer

Who owns, insures or guarantees my loan? Which retention and disposition options are being reviewed? Is my application complete? What is missing? Is there a foreclosure sale date? Does review affect that date? If denied, what is the specific reason and is there an appeal or escalation path?

Official resources

• HUD — Avoiding Foreclosure
• HUD — FHA Loss Mitigation
• CFPB — Foreclosure / Loss Mitigation
• Fannie Mae — Payment Deferral
• Fannie Mae — Flex Modification
• Freddie Mac — Relief Options
• VA — Servicer Assistance
• VA — 2026 Partial Claim FAQs
• USDA — Guaranteed Loan Program
• FTC — Mortgage Relief Scams

Last reviewed September 15, 2026. Eligibility is loan-, investor-, servicer- and situation-specific. State foreclosure law varies.

What not to do

Do not ignore mail because you are embarrassed or expect the problem to resolve itself. Do not send mortgage payments to a third-party rescue company. Do not sign over title without independent advice. Do not assume a pending modification automatically stops foreclosure. Do not intentionally create a delinquency because someone online said it is required. And do not wait for a sale date before asking the servicer what documents are needed.

Build a written record

Keep the mortgage statement, hardship explanation, income and expense documents, every assistance application, every upload or fax confirmation, representative names, dates and call notes, written offers/denials, and every foreclosure notice. If the file becomes disputed or time-sensitive, a clean record helps a housing counselor, servicer escalation team or attorney understand what happened.