In one sentence: HUD approved housing counselors are free, they are trained specifically for this, and they can talk to your lender for you.
Start with these numbers
- HUD approved housing counselors: 800 569 4287. Free foreclosure prevention counseling nationwide.
- Homeowners HOPE Hotline: 888 995 HOPE (888 995 4673). Free counseling from HUD approved agencies, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- In Colorado, the Colorado Foreclosure Hotline: 877 601 HOPE (877 601 4673).
What a housing counselor actually does
- Reviews your budget and tells you honestly which options you may qualify for
- Helps you assemble a complete loss mitigation application, which is what protects you
- With your written authorization, contacts your servicer and advocates for you when you are getting nowhere
- Explains your state's timeline and rights
They are certified, they are free, and they have no incentive to sell you anything. If you only make one call today, make it this one.
When you need a lawyer instead
A counselor is not a lawyer. Consider a foreclosure defense attorney or legal aid if any of these apply:
- You believe the lender did not follow the rules or the notices look wrong
- You are facing a deficiency judgment or already been sued
- There is a dispute over ownership, an inheritance, or a divorce
- You are considering bankruptcy to stop the sale
- Someone asked you to sign over your deed
Search for legal aid in your state, or ask your local bar association about a foreclosure clinic. Many offer free consultations.
How to spot a scam
Walk away from anyone who:
- Asks for a fee before doing anything. Charging upfront for foreclosure help is illegal.
- Guarantees they will stop your foreclosure or save your home. Nobody can promise that.
- Tells you to stop making your mortgage payments. This is the most damaging advice a scammer gives.
- Tells you to send your payments to them instead of your lender or servicer.
- Tells you to stop talking to your lender, your servicer, or your attorney.
- Pressures you to sign quickly, or pushes papers at you that you do not understand.
- Asks you to sign over your deed, or offers to buy your home and rent it back to you.
- Offers a "forensic loan audit."
- Wants payment by wire transfer, cashier's check, gift card, or a cash app.
- Claims to be with a government program. Real government staff never charge you for help.
- Calls after your home has already sold and offers to recover your surplus funds for a cut. You can claim that money yourself, for free, from the county. In Colorado it is illegal to charge a finder's fee for this until 2.5 years after the foreclosure.
Federal and state agencies warn about every one of these. Legitimate help never does them, and that includes us.
Common questions
Is it really free?
Yes. HUD approved counseling agencies provide foreclosure prevention counseling at no cost. You should never pay an upfront fee for foreclosure help.
Will a counselor tell me to sell?
They will lay out every option honestly, including keeping the home. They have no financial stake in what you choose, which is exactly why they are worth calling.
Then why would I talk to you?
Fair question. Use the free resources first, always. We help when you want a plain language second opinion or when selling turns out to be the right path and you want your equity protected. We never charge you a fee.