Short Sale Before Foreclosure

Approval

A short sale requires servicer/investor approval to accept less than the total mortgage payoff.

Listing is not a stop

Listing the home or receiving an offer does not automatically stop foreclosure.

Debt treatment

Get written terms regarding deficiency, contribution and relocation assistance, if any.

Advice

Potential tax and deficiency consequences require qualified tax/legal advice.

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.

One more practical step

Before ending any call, repeat back what the servicer says is required, ask for the representative name or ID and confirmation number, and write down the exact next follow-up date.