If your goal is to stay
You want to keep your home. Start with these calls.
Your goal is to stay. Good. This page sends you to the right help first — not to us. Three calls come before anything else.
Your first three calls
Call your lender or loan servicer first. Ask about three things: reinstatement, a repayment plan, and a loan modification. Ask them to explain each one. Write down who you talk to, and when.
Next, call a HUD-approved housing counselor. Many help you for free. They know these programs well. You can find one at https://www.hud.gov/findacounselor.
Then talk to a lawyer. This matters most if a sale date is already set. A lawyer looks at your case, not just the general rules. We are not lawyers, and this is education, not legal advice.
What “catching up” means
Reinstatement is a plain idea. It means you catch up. You pay what is past due, plus fees, and the loan is current again.
You have this right for most of the timeline. It ends five business days before the sale (Civil Code §2924c). Ask your lender for the exact amount in writing.
A repayment plan spreads the past-due amount over months. A loan modification changes the loan terms going forward. Your lender decides if you qualify. Ask about all three.
California may also help. Its Homeowner Bill of Rights may apply if you live in the home, and it has 1 to 4 units. It sets rules on how a servicer must reach you and limits “dual tracking.” A counselor or lawyer can tell you if it fits. This is education, not legal advice.
Watch out for these traps
Some people prey on owners in your spot. No one can honestly promise to stop a foreclosure. Be careful of anyone who says they can.
Do not pay fees up front to a “rescue” service. In California, a foreclosure “consultant” cannot collect a fee up front for this kind of help (Civil Code §2945). Real help, like your lender or a HUD counselor, does not ask for money first.
Never sign a deed in a rush. That paper can hand over your home. If someone pushes you to sign fast, slow down. Take it to a lawyer first.
Where we fit
Notice we sent you elsewhere first. That is on purpose. If your goal is to keep the home, your lender, a counselor, and a lawyer come before us.
So when do we fit? Only if keeping the home stops being possible. Or if the math stops working, even after you catch up.
Then a sale on your own terms is the fallback. We are licensed California real estate professionals. We are the second call — not a replacement for the first three.
Frequently Asked
Your questions, answered.
Call your lender or loan servicer first. Ask about reinstatement, a repayment plan, and a loan modification. Next, call a HUD-approved housing counselor — many help for free (https://www.hud.gov/findacounselor). Then talk to a lawyer, especially if a sale date is set. These three come before you call anyone else, including us. This is education, not legal advice.
Your First Calls
Start with the three calls that protect the home.
Your lender or servicer, a HUD-approved housing counselor, and a lawyer come first. Many counselors help for free. If selling ever becomes your path, we are here — one free, private call, no pressure.
Gay-Lynn Chavez, CA DRE #01433767 (eXp Realty of California, Inc.), and Louis Chavez, CA DRE #01949822, NC #363738 (eXp Commercial of California, Inc.) — Chavez Group / LC Commercial Invest Group. Francisco Williams, CA DRE #01979442, NMLS #1858674 — KW Commercial Beverly Hills / Williams Capital Advisors. Information on this page is educational and not legal, tax, or financial advice.