Not Sure What to Do With Your Home?
You don’t have to know the answer yet.
Whether you’re behind on payments, received a foreclosure notice, think you may need to sell, or simply don’t know what your next step should be, start by understanding your options.
Your next move doesn’t always mean moving.
First: What Do YOU Want?
Before worrying about programs, paperwork, or selling the house, start with one simple question: what would you like to happen?
I want to keep my home
If staying in your home is your goal, start there. Being behind on payments or receiving a foreclosure notice does not automatically mean selling is your only option. There may be ways to work with your mortgage company to catch up or change how the missed payments are handled.
I think I need to sell
Selling may be the right move, but don’t assume a quick cash offer is automatically your best option. If you have enough time and equity, selling on the open market may allow you to protect more of the money you’ve built up in your home. If time or condition makes that unrealistic, a faster as-is sale may be another option.
I honestly don’t know
That’s okay. You don’t have to understand mortgages, foreclosure, or real estate before asking for help. Tell me what’s happening and I’ll help you understand the real-estate side of your situation and identify the questions you may need to ask next.
Want to Keep Your Home? Start Here.
If you are behind on your mortgage, your first call should usually be to the company you send your mortgage payment to.
That company is called your mortgage servicer.
“I’m having trouble with my mortgage and I want to keep my home. I need to know what options are available to me.”
Mortgage companies may have different ways to help eligible homeowners deal with missed payments. The official term for these options is loss mitigation.
Loss mitigation simply means looking for a way to deal with missed mortgage payments and potentially avoid foreclosure.
You Can Literally Ask These Questions
“How much would I need to pay to completely catch my mortgage up?”
This is called your reinstatement amount.
“What options do I have if I can’t pay everything I’m behind on right now?”
“Can I spread the missed payments out over time?”
This may be called a repayment plan.
“Can the terms of my mortgage be changed so I can afford to stay?”
This may be called a loan modification.
“What documents do you need from me to review me for mortgage assistance?”
“Is my application considered COMPLETE?”
Mortgage-assistance protections can depend on whether your mortgage company has received everything it needs to consider your application complete.
“Is my foreclosure sale still scheduled?”
Ask this if a foreclosure date already exists.
“What exactly needs to happen for that sale to be postponed or canceled?”
Important: Do not assume that sending paperwork automatically stops a scheduled foreclosure. Confirm the status of the foreclosure sale directly with your mortgage company.
Have an FHA Loan?
You may have additional options worth asking about.
If your mortgage is FHA-insured and you’ve fallen behind, FHA has programs that mortgage companies may use to help eligible homeowners.
You do not need to memorize these programs. You only need to know enough to ask your mortgage company whether any of them apply to you.
Repayment Plan
You start making your normal payment again and catch up on some of what you missed over time.
Ask: “Am I eligible for a repayment plan?”
Loan Modification
Your mortgage company may be able to change certain terms of the loan to help deal with the missed payments and create a workable path forward.
Ask: “Am I eligible for a loan modification?”
Combination Modification + Partial Claim
Sometimes more than one tool can be used. Part of the problem may be handled by changing the mortgage, while another eligible portion may be moved into a Partial Claim.
Ask: “Would a modification combined with a Partial Claim be available to me?”
Payment Supplement
Certain eligible FHA homeowners may have an option that uses Partial Claim funds to temporarily reduce their monthly mortgage payment.
Ask: “Am I eligible for an FHA Payment Supplement?”
What if I don’t have enough money to catch everything up right now?
Some eligible FHA homeowners may be able to move certain past-due amounts into a separate amount that gets paid later instead of having to pay all of it immediately.
That separate amount is generally interest-free and does not require regular monthly payments. It generally becomes due later when certain events happen, such as selling the home or paying off the mortgage.
The official name for this is an FHA Partial Claim.
Ask: “Am I eligible for an FHA Partial Claim?”
Important: No one here can tell you that you qualify for any of these programs. Your mortgage servicer determines what programs may be available based on your loan and your circumstances.
Already Have a Foreclosure Date? Don’t Wait.
Timing matters. Federal mortgage-servicing protections can depend on how soon the foreclosure sale is scheduled and whether your mortgage company has received a complete mortgage-assistance application.
The CFPB specifically identifies important protections that may apply when a complete loss-mitigation application is received more than 37 days before a scheduled foreclosure sale.
Here’s what this means for you
- Don’t wait until the last few days.
- Call your mortgage company now.
- Ask whether your application is complete.
- Ask whether your foreclosure sale is still scheduled.
- Ask exactly what must happen for the sale to be postponed or canceled.
Sending in an application does not automatically stop a foreclosure. Confirm the status with your mortgage company.
You Don’t Have to Figure This Out Alone
If all of this still feels overwhelming, there are trained housing counselors who can help you understand your options.
HUD-approved housing counselors can help homeowners understand mortgage-assistance and foreclosure-prevention options and work through the process with their mortgage company. Foreclosure-prevention counseling through a HUD-approved housing counseling agency is available free of charge.
This help is completely independent from Aime Guerra Real Estate. You do not need to give me your contact information, and you do not need to hire me to use it.
What If You Don’t Want to Keep the House?
That’s okay too.
If selling is what you want, the next question is: how do you sell in a way that makes the most sense for your situation?
Do not assume that because you’re facing foreclosure you have to give your house away to an investor.
Equity is roughly the difference between what your home is worth and what you still owe against it, before considering selling costs and other liens or obligations. If you have equity, protecting as much of it as reasonably possible matters.
Traditional Sale
If there is enough time and the property can reasonably be sold on the open market, a traditional sale may allow you to sell closer to market value, pay off the mortgage and other obligations through closing, and potentially keep more of your remaining equity.
Aime can help determine:
- · What the property may realistically sell for
- · Approximately how much time a sale may require
- · Whether the home’s condition makes a traditional sale realistic
- · What other selling options may be worth comparing
Fast / As-Is Sale
Sometimes time is more important than getting the highest possible price. If the foreclosure deadline is close, the property needs substantial work, or preparing and marketing the home isn’t realistic, a faster as-is purchase may be worth considering.
The tradeoff: a faster investor or as-is sale may provide speed and certainty, but usually at a lower price than a successful traditional market sale.
Important: Putting your home on the market does not automatically cancel a scheduled foreclosure. Keep talking with your mortgage servicer and confirm the foreclosure status directly with them.
Still Don’t Know What to Do?
That’s okay.
You don’t have to decide whether you’re selling before you talk to me.
Tell me what’s happening. I’ll help you understand the real-estate side of your situation, identify questions you may need to ask your mortgage company, and help you compare the housing options that may make sense.
I’m not here to automatically convince you to sell your house.
Sometimes the right next move is selling.
Sometimes it’s an as-is sale.
And sometimes the best next move is staying exactly where you are.
Let’s Figure Out Your Next Step
You don’t need to have anything figured out first. Share whatever you’re comfortable sharing.
Be Careful Who You Trust
Homeowners who are behind on their mortgage can become targets for foreclosure-rescue scams. Be cautious of anyone who:
- Guarantees they can stop your foreclosure
- Demands large upfront fees for foreclosure-prevention help
- Tells you to stop communicating with your mortgage company
- Tells you to send your mortgage payment somewhere else without verified authorization
- Pressures you to sign over ownership of your home
- Asks you to sign documents you don’t understand
Legitimate free help is available through HUD-approved housing counselors.
Want to Verify This Information Yourself?
You should. These are the government resources used to help build this guide.
Mortgage and foreclosure assistance
Open official resource →FHA Loss Mitigation
Open official resource →Find a HUD-approved housing counselor
Open official resource →Texas foreclosure law (Chapter 51)
Open official resource →This information is provided for general educational purposes and is not legal, financial, lending, tax, or foreclosure-prevention advice.
Mortgage programs, eligibility requirements, and foreclosure timelines vary based on the loan, mortgage servicer, and individual circumstances and may change.
Contact your mortgage servicer, a HUD-approved housing counselor, and, when appropriate, a qualified attorney regarding your specific situation.
If you have a scheduled foreclosure sale, act promptly and confirm the status directly with your mortgage servicer.
Government information and resources last reviewed: August 2026.
Questions? Email aime@aimeguerrarealestate.com.