How to Save Your Home
Prevent Foreclosure Now!
What to do if you can’t pay your mortgage. Click on the Homeowner’s Guide to Success links below to view this valuable information.
What happens when I miss my mortgage payments?
Both foreclosures and deficiency judgments could seriously affect your ability to qualify for credit in the future. So you should avoid foreclosure if possible.
What should I do if I miss my mortgage payment?
Stay in your home for now. You may not qualify for assistance if you abandon your property.
Contact a HUD-approved housing counseling agency. Call (800) 569-4287 or TDD (800) 877-8339 for the housing counseling agency nearest you. These agencies are valuable resources. They frequently have information on services and programs offered by Government agencies as well as private and community organizations that could help you. The housing counseling agency may also offer credit counseling. These services are usually free of charge.
What are my alternatives?
Special Forbearance
Your lender may be able to arrange a repayment plan based on your financial situation and may even provide for a temporary reduction or suspension of your payments. You may qualify for this if you have recently experienced a reduction in income or an increase in living expenses. You must furnish information to your lender to show that you would be able to meet the requirements of the new payment plan.
Mortgage Modification
You may be able to refinance the debt and/or extend the term of your mortgage loan. This may help you catch up by reducing the monthly payments to a more affordable level. You may qualify if you have recovered from a financial problem and can afford the new payment amount.
Partial Claim
Your lender may be able to work with you to obtain a one-time payment from the FHA-Insurance fund to bring your mortgage current.
You may qualify if: Your loan is at least 4 months delinquent but no more than 12 months delinquent; You are able to begin making full mortgage payments.
When your lender files a Partial Claim, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development will pay your lender the amount necessary to bring your mortgage current. You must execute a Promissory Note, and a Lien will be placed on your property until the Promissory Note is paid in full.
The Promissory Note is interest-free and is due when you pay off the first mortgage or when you sell the property.
Pre-foreclosure sale/Short Sale
This will allow you to avoid foreclosure by selling your property for an amount less than the amount necessary to pay off your mortgage loan. You may qualify if: the loan is at least 2 months delinquent; you are able to sell your house within 3 to 5 months; and a new appraisal (that your lender will obtain) shows that the value of your home meets HUD program guidelines.
Deed-in-lieu of foreclosure
As a last resort, you may be able to voluntarily “give back” your property to the lender. This won’t save your house.
You can qualify if: You are in default and don’t qualify for any of the other options; your attempts at selling the house before foreclosure were unsuccessful; and you don’t have another FHA mortgage in default.
How do I know if I qualify for any of these alternatives?
Should I be aware of anything else?
Equity skimming
In this type of scam, a “buyer” approaches you, offering to get you out of financial trouble by promising to pay off your mortgage or give you a sum of money when the property is sold. The “buyer” may suggest that you move out quickly and deed the property to him or her. The “buyer” then collects rent for a time, does not make any mortgage payments, and allows the lender to foreclose. Remember, signing over your deed to someone else does not necessarily relieve you of your obligation on your loan.
Phony counseling agencies
Some groups calling themselves “counseling agencies” may approach you and offer to perform certain services for a fee. These could well be services you could do for yourself for free, such as negotiating a new payment plan with your lender, or pursuing a pre-foreclosure sale. If you have any doubt about paying for such services, call a HUD-approved housing counseling agency at (800) 569-4287 or TDD (800) 877-8339. Do this before you pay anyone or sign anything.
Are there any precautions I can take?
- Don’t sign any papers you don’t fully understand.
- Make sure you get all “promises” in writing.
- Beware of any contract of sale of loan assumption where you are not formally released from liability for your mortgage debt.
- Check with a lawyer or your mortgage company before entering into any deal involving your home
If you’re selling the house yourself to avoid foreclosure, check to see if there are any complaints against the prospective buyer. You can contact your state’s Attorney General, the State Real Estate Commission, or the local District Attorney’s Consumer Fraud Unit for this type of information.
What are the main points I should remember?
- Don’t lose your home and damage your credit history.
- Call or write your mortgage lender immediately and be honest about your financial situation.
- Stay in your home to make sure you qualify for assistance.
- Arrange an appointment with a HUD-approved housing counselor to explore your options at (800) 569-4287 or TDD (800) 877-8339.
- Cooperate with the counselor or lender trying to help you.
- Explore every alternative to keep your home.
- Beware of scams.
- Do not sign anything you don’t understand. And remember that signing over the deed to someone else does not necessarily relieve you of your loan obligation.
Act now. Delaying can’t help. If you do nothing, YOU WILL LOSE YOUR HOME and your good credit rating.
Escrow Analysis and Year-End Statements
Borrowers receive two statements from Idaho Housing each year. One is a Year-End Statement that lists the amounts applied as interest, taxes, insurance and principal paid on the mortgage balance during the prior year. This statement is mailed in January and should be used for tax purposes. The second statement is an Escrow Account Disclosure Statement that details monthly payments into and out of the borrower’s escrow account. All borrowers pay principal and interest on their mortgage loan plus an escrow amount that Idaho Housing uses, on the borrower’s behalf, to pay property taxes and insurance on the home. For help email: Homeloanserv Support