Start Here: What You Need to Know
Foreclosure Fighters isn't only about selling — it's about your best path. If keeping your home is realistic, a loan modification or forbearance may be exactly right, and we'll send you toward free help to get it.
We only talk about selling when staying isn't realistic. This page is the stay-in-your-home playbook.
Quick facts at a glance
- Loan modification
- Permanently changes your rate or term to lower the payment.
- Forbearance
- Temporarily pauses or reduces payments for a short-term hardship.
- Who qualifies?
- Generally a documented hardship plus enough income for a reduced payment.
- Cost?
- Legitimate help, including HUD counselors, is free.
- Free help
- HUD-approved counselor: 1-800-569-4287 or consumerfinance.gov.
- If denied
- Reinstatement, selling before the auction, or a short sale remain.
How a Loan Modification Works
A modification permanently changes the terms of your existing mortgage — a lower interest rate, a longer term, or rolling missed payments back into the balance — to bring the monthly payment down to something you can afford. You apply through your servicer's loss-mitigation department with proof of income and a hardship explanation.
How Forbearance Works
Forbearance is a temporary pause or reduction in payments — useful for a short-term hardship like a job loss or medical event you expect to recover from. The missed amount comes due later: as a lump sum, a repayment plan, or added to the end of the loan. Be crystal clear on the repayment terms before you agree, because a balloon at the end can create a new crisis.
Free Expert Help
A HUD-approved housing counselor can guide you through a modification application for free — call 1-800-569-4287 or visit consumerfinance.gov. They're a genuine resource, and we'll happily point you to them.
Avoid the scams
Never pay a large upfront fee to a company promising to 'save your home.' Legitimate modification help doesn't work that way.
Pros
- You keep your home
- Lower, sustainable monthly payment
- Free help available through HUD
Cons / Trade-offs
- Requires stable income to qualify
- Paperwork-heavy and slow
- Forbearance balloons can create a new crisis
- Not everyone is approved
When Selling Is Still the Smarter Move
If the modified payment is still out of reach, or the home needs major repairs you can't fund, keeping it can just delay the inevitable. In that case, selling before foreclosure protects your equity. We'll help you tell the difference honestly.
Not sure if you can keep it?
We'll help you weigh keeping vs. selling — and point you to free HUD help if staying is realistic.
Review My Options Call 904-606-9163Hidden Things About Modifications
- Paperwork delays kill more modifications than denials. Answer every servicer request immediately.
- Free help exists — use it. HUD counselors do this for free; never pay big upfront fees.
- Understand forbearance repayment. A pause that ends in a lump-sum balloon can be worse than the original problem.
- A modification you can't really afford just delays foreclosure. Be honest about the new payment.
- Denied isn't the end. Reinstatement, selling before the auction, or a short sale still remain.
Chris Moore
"If you can keep your home, you should — and I'll tell you that even though it means I don't buy your house. My whole pitch is honesty, so when a modification is realistic, I point people straight to a HUD counselor."
"We're local and we're not a call center. We'll tell you honestly what your options are — including the ones that don't involve selling to us — because the right move is whatever actually protects you."
Frequently Asked Questions
Who qualifies for a modification?
Generally homeowners with a documented hardship and enough income to support a reduced payment.
Does it cost money?
Legitimate help, including HUD counselors, is free. Avoid anyone charging large upfront fees.
What's the difference between modification and forbearance?
Modification permanently changes your loan terms; forbearance temporarily pauses or reduces payments.
What if I'm denied?
You still have options — reinstatement, selling before the auction, or a short sale.
Where do I get free help?
A HUD-approved housing counselor at 1-800-569-4287 or consumerfinance.gov.
Need to talk to someone?