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Homeowner Resources

Know Your Rights & Options.

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Homeowner
Assistance
Guide
mortgage-assist.com
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Chapters
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The Homeowner's
Assistance Guide

Loss mitigation, forbearance, common assistance programs and options — written in plain English.

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What's Inside

Everything You Need Before Your Next Call With Your Lender

This guide walks you through what happens when you miss payments, what your servicer is required to do, and what questions to ask — so you never get caught off guard.

  • ✓What loss mitigation is and when to request it
  • ✓The difference between forbearance, modification, and reinstatement
  • ✓What RESPA requires your servicer to do for you
  • ✓A complete checklist of documents your lender may request
  • ✓Questions to ask on your first call with your servicer
  • ✓What foreclosure timelines look like in your state
Topic Library

Start with the Topic Closest to Your Situation

Each resource is written for homeowners navigating payment concerns, missed payments, or foreclosure pressure.

Keep your home
Options

Keep Your Home

Modification, forbearance, repayment plans and reinstatement — explained clearly.

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Documents
Your Rights

RESPA — Your Servicer's Obligations

Federal mortgage-servicing rules generally require acknowledgment of certain loss-mitigation applications within five business days, subject to applicable requirements.

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Paperwork
Catch Up

Reinstatement Explained

What reinstatement means, how to calculate the amount owed, and how to request it from your servicer.

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Professional consultation
Loss Mitigation

Loss Mitigation Documents

A complete list of what your lender typically needs to review your loss mitigation application.

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Foreclosure timeline
Foreclosure

Understanding the Foreclosure Timeline

What happens at 30, 60, 90, 120 days — and how much time you actually have before a sale.

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Managing finances
Financial Tips

Managing Your Finances During a Hardship

Practical tips for prioritizing bills, communicating with creditors, and protecting your credit score.

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Housing counselor
Government

HUD-Approved Housing Counselors

Free counseling from HUD-approved agencies — how to find one and what they can help with.

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Glossary
Glossary

Mortgage Terms Explained

A plain-English glossary of terms your lender uses — forbearance, reinstatement, NOD, and more.

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Mortgage Glossary

Terms Your Lender Uses — Explained Simply

Understanding these terms puts you in a stronger position when talking to your servicer.

Forbearance

A temporary agreement with your servicer to pause or reduce monthly payments. How missed amounts are repaid depends on your loan, servicer, and available program.

Loan Modification

A permanent change to your original loan terms — such as a lower interest rate, extended term, or capitalized arrears — to make payments affordable.

Reinstatement

Paying all past-due amounts (missed payments + fees) in a single lump sum to bring your loan fully current.

Loss Mitigation

The process by which your servicer evaluates options that may help you avoid foreclosure.

Notice of Default (NOD)

A formal notice filed by your lender indicating you are in default. This is typically the first step in the foreclosure process.

Servicer

The company that collects your mortgage payments. Your servicer may be different from the lender who originally issued your loan.

RESPA

The Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act — federal law that governs how servicers must handle loss mitigation requests and borrower communications.

Repayment Plan

An agreement to catch up on missed payments over time by paying extra each month on top of your regular payment — typically over 3–12 months.

Mortgage Assistance / Grants

Some servicer, government, state, local, or nonprofit programs may provide assistance to eligible homeowners. Funding is limited, eligibility varies, and Mortgage-Assist.com does not award government grants.

Payment Deferral

An arrangement in which eligible missed payments may be addressed later, sometimes at loan maturity or through another approved repayment arrangement. It is not automatic and terms vary by loan and servicer.

HELOC / Home Equity

A HELOC or home-equity loan may let qualified homeowners borrow against available equity. It is new debt secured by the home, not a grant, and may not fit every situation.

Know Your Rights

Your Lender Has Legal Obligations to You

Under federal law (RESPA), your mortgage servicer must follow specific rules when you fall behind. Most homeowners don't know these rights exist.

5-Day Acknowledgment Rule

Federal mortgage-servicing rules generally require acknowledgment of certain loss-mitigation applications within five business days, subject to applicable requirements.

30-Day Review Rule

Federal mortgage-servicing rules generally require servicers to evaluate certain complete loss mitigation applications within 30 days, subject to applicable requirements.

Dual Tracking Prohibition

Federal mortgage-servicing rules may restrict certain foreclosure actions when a complete loss mitigation application is submitted within applicable timeframes.

Appeal Rights

In certain circumstances, borrowers may have a right to appeal a servicer's loss mitigation decision. Applicable deadlines and eligibility requirements vary.

Early Contact Requirements

Federal mortgage-servicing rules generally require servicers to establish or make good-faith efforts to establish live contact with delinquent borrowers within applicable timeframes, subject to the rules and exceptions.

Right to a Housing Counselor

You have the right to seek free assistance from a HUD-approved housing counselor at any point in the process.

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