Quick answer
If you just lost your job and you are worried about the mortgage, do these four things this week:
- Call your mortgage servicer and ask about hardship forbearance. Do not skip a payment without calling first.
- File for unemployment today, not next week. Every day you wait is money you will not get back.
- Cut every bill you can, then apply for SNAP, LIHEAP, and any state hardship programs you qualify for. One less bill is more money toward the house.
- Call a HUD-approved housing counselor. It is free. They are on your side.
If the bills are moving faster than the paycheck, that is okay. There is still a plan. Keep reading.
First, take a breath.
Losing your job is scary. Add a mortgage to it and the fear gets loud fast. We talk to families every week who are sitting in exactly the spot you are sitting in right now. You are not behind. You are not late. You are not in trouble yet. You are just in the moment where you have to make a plan.
We care more than anybody else, and we will prove it in the next ten minutes of reading.
Quick note from Caroline.
Hi, I am Caroline. Before I tell you what to do, I want you to know why this work matters to me.
My family almost lost our home. I know what it feels like to sit at a kitchen table and stare at bills that add up to more than the paycheck. I know what it feels like to pick up the phone and not know what to say to the bank. I know the voice in your head that says “how did we end up here.” I have been in that voice.
The reason we built The Homes Hero is simple. Nobody should have to figure this out alone. Nobody should lose their home because they were too embarrassed to ask for help. And nobody should feel like the bank is the enemy when the bank is actually just waiting for someone to call.
Everything below is what we wish someone had handed our family back then. It is the calm, clear, no pressure playbook. Read it. Then call us if you want a real human in your corner. (844) 991-4359. The consultation is always free.
Here is the truth nobody tells you. The mortgage company would rather work with you than foreclose on you. Foreclosure is expensive for them too. The banks have programs for exactly this moment. You just have to ask before you fall behind, not after.
Step 1. Call the mortgage servicer. Today.
The single biggest mistake we see is people hiding from the bank. Do not hide. Call.
We know this part is overwhelming. We know you might sit on hold for an hour. We know your stomach is in your throat before you even dial. That is normal. It happens to everybody.
If you want, we will make this call with you. No cost, no pressure, no obligation. We do this every single week for families. We know the scripts, we know which department to ask for, and we know how to keep the conversation moving toward a real answer. Just call us at (844) 991-4359 and say “I need help calling my mortgage servicer.” We will take it from there.
If you want to do it yourself, here is exactly how. Ask for the loss mitigation department. That is the team that helps homeowners in hardship. Say these exact words:
“I just lost my job. I want to understand my options before I miss a payment. Can you walk me through hardship forbearance and any other programs I qualify for?”
They will probably offer you one of these:
- Forbearance. They pause or reduce your payment for a few months while you get back on your feet.
- Repayment plan. You catch up on missed payments over time, spread across future months.
- Loan modification. They change the terms of the loan to make it work for your new reality.
- Partial claim. An FHA program that puts missed payments at the back of the loan, interest free.
Every one of these is better than missing a payment without calling.
One rule. Get everything in writing. Do not take a phone promise as final. Ask them to email or mail you the agreement.
Step 2. File for unemployment the same day.
Unemployment insurance was paid for by you through years of taxes. It is yours. Use it.
File online at your state’s unemployment website. The fastest way to find it is to google “[your state] unemployment file claim.” Do it today. Not Monday. Not after the weekend. Today. Most states start the clock the day you file, not the day you got laid off. Every day you wait is a day of benefits you do not get back.
Step 3. Stack every resource you qualify for.
Every bill you can cut is a dollar that stays in the house fund. Here is the menu. Go through the whole list.
| Resource | What it helps with | Where to start |
|---|---|---|
| SNAP (food stamps) | Groceries | Your state’s Department of Economic Security or benefits.gov |
| LIHEAP | Utility bills (heat, electric) | energyhelp.us or your state energy office |
| State Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF) | Missed mortgage payments, utilities, property taxes | Search “[your state] Homeowner Assistance Fund” |
| 211 | Local emergency help, food banks, rent relief | Dial 2-1-1 from any phone |
| HUD-approved housing counselor | Free expert guidance, bank negotiation help | Call 800-569-4287 |
| Medicaid / CHIP | Health insurance while you are between jobs | healthcare.gov |
None of these programs are handouts. They exist because people who work hard sometimes hit a wall, and the country decided a long time ago that families should not lose their homes over one bad season.
Step 4. Find bridge income. Any bridge income.
You need a job before you get the real job. That is not a failure, that is a strategy. A small check this month is worth more than a perfect check three months from now.
Here are the fastest places to pick up income right now:
- DoorDash, Uber Eats, Instacart, Amazon Flex. Sign up today, drive tomorrow. Not glamorous. Very fast.
- Temp agencies. Kelly Services, Robert Half, Aerotek. They can place you in a paying role in days.
- Your own network. Text ten people today. Not a resume. Just: “Hey, I just got laid off. If you hear of anything, I am open to pretty much anything while I figure out the next full-time role.”
- Skills you already have. Housekeeping, handyman work, tutoring, dog walking, driving. None of it is beneath the goal of keeping your family in their home.
We have watched families bridge months of gap income with gig work and come out with their house, their credit, and their pride intact. It is not glamorous. It is possible.
Step 5. Build a 6 month runway, even if you start from zero.
Here is the part that hurts to hear. If you do not have 6 months of reserves right now, you are not alone. Most people do not. Most financial experts say you should. Most people cannot.
What matters is not where you are today. It is which direction you are pointed.
Start with this. Add up your minimum monthly bills, housing, utilities, food, transportation, insurance. That is your bare-bones number. Multiply it by 6. That is the runway goal.
Then every week, move the needle. Unemployment check in, bills trimmed, side income starting, one less subscription. Every dollar that does not go out is a dollar in the runway bucket.
If the gap is too big to close on your own, that is what the menu above is for. Stack the resources. Call the servicer. Get a counselor. Make the bank your partner, not your enemy.
When to call us
We are not HUD counselors. We are not lawyers. We are the team that picks up the phone when a family has tried everything else and still cannot see a path forward. Some families we help keep the house. Some families we help sell the house on their terms and walk away with money in their pocket instead of a foreclosure on their credit. Either way, the family wins.
If you are in that spot, call us. (844) 991-4359. The consultation is always free. No pressure. No pitch. Just an honest conversation about what your real options look like.
Frequently asked questions
How long can I go without paying the mortgage before foreclosure starts? It depends on the state and the loan. Most lenders will not start the foreclosure process until you are 90 to 120 days behind. That does not mean you have 120 days to do nothing. It means you have a window to make a plan. Use it.
Will forbearance hurt my credit? If you get the forbearance in writing before you miss a payment, it should not. If you miss payments without calling the servicer first, it will. That is why step 1 is call the bank today.
Can I get a loan modification if I am unemployed? Sometimes. It is harder without income but not impossible, especially if you have some unemployment benefits, a working spouse, or another income source. A HUD counselor can help you make the case.
Are you lawyers or financial advisors? No. We are a team that has helped hundreds of families walk through moments exactly like this one. Everything in this post is information, not legal or financial advice. For legal advice, talk to an attorney. For a housing counselor, call 800-569-4287.
Is the consultation really free? Yes. Always. We do not charge homeowners. We never will.
You are going to be okay.
One more time, because it matters. You are not behind. You are not in trouble yet. You are in the moment where you make the plan. That is a very different moment than the one you are afraid you are in.
Make the calls. Stack the resources. Find the bridge income. And if you need a team in your corner, we are right here.
Call (844) 991-4359. The consultation is always free.
About the author
Written by Caroline Cain, founder of The Homes Hero. Caroline grew up in a family that almost lost their home, which is why she built a company that treats every homeowner the way she wished someone had treated her family back then.
Here is the part most people do not expect. Caroline and her team have helped more families stay in their home than they have ever helped them sell. That is not an accident. That is the whole point. We are a help-first team that helps families sell when selling is the best answer, and fights to keep them in the house when staying is the best answer. We are not a wholesaler that occasionally helps people stay. The order matters.
Together, Caroline and her team have walked hundreds of families across 14 states through foreclosure, hardship, job loss, medical bills, probate, and every other reason a good family can end up in a scary season. Sometimes that means negotiating with the bank so they can stay. Sometimes that means selling fast on their terms so they walk away with money in their pocket instead of a foreclosure on their credit. Either way, the family wins.
This is not legal or financial advice. It is what we have learned from actually sitting across the table from families in crisis. If you are in one of those moments right now, call us at (844) 991-4359. The consultation is always free.