Frequently asked questions
Plain answers to what people ask before they reach out, and to what they ask once they are on the call.
Where the honest answer depends on numbers specific to you — what you owe, roughly what the property is worth, what changed, and how much time is left — that is what we say, rather than guessing at a number that fits everyone.
About the consultation
Is it really free?
Yes. The consultation costs nothing, and nothing is billed to you for that conversation. If a later step involves an attorney or another professional, whatever that costs is explained to you plainly before you commit to it — but talking with us and finding out where you stand does not cost you anything.
What will you ask me?
Roughly four things: what you owe, roughly what the property is worth, what changed in your situation, and what mail or notices have arrived so far. If you do not have exact numbers, that is fine — most people who reach out do not, and part of the conversation is sorting out what you actually know from what you have been assuming.
Do I have to decide anything on the call?
No. There is nothing to sign, and no decision has to be made while you are on the phone. The call is meant to lay out what is actually available to you, so that whatever you decide afterward is based on real information instead of a guess.
Will you pressure me?
No. You will hear the options that apply to your situation, including ones this practice does not offer and including the option of doing nothing for now. Nothing about the call is set up to push you toward a decision faster than you are ready to make it.
Will anyone find out?
What you share stays between you and the person you speak with. It is not posted anywhere, and it does not notify your lender on its own. If a referral is the right next step for you, your information goes to that professional — that is what the consultation is for. Many people who reach out have not told anyone else in their life what is going on, and that is ordinary, not unusual.
What if I am not sure I want to sell?
That is a fine place to start. Selling is only one of several paths, and it may not turn out to be the one that fits you — the consultation covers options that keep the house as well as ones that end in a sale. Reaching out does not commit you to any of them.
About your situation
Is it too late if foreclosure has already started?
Usually not. A foreclosure filing does not automatically close off every other option, though how much room is left depends on your state’s process and how far the case has progressed. The only way to know what is genuinely still open is to look at your actual dates.
What if I have already missed several payments?
Missed payments by themselves do not decide anything. What matters is how many, whether the shortfall was temporary or ongoing, and how what you owe compares to what the property is worth. Those are the numbers a consultation works through with you.
What if I owe more than it is worth?
That rules some options out and opens others, such as a short sale or, in narrower cases, a deed in lieu. Whether either applies depends on the size of the gap and on what else is recorded against the property — numbers we would need to see before saying more.
What if I inherited the property?
An inherited property carries its own questions — whose name is on the loan, whether the estate has been settled, and whether anyone else has a claim on the house. Those affect which options are open to you, and they are worth sorting out rather than assuming they rule everything out.
What if my co-borrower died?
The mortgage does not go away, and neither does your obligation on it, but a co-borrower’s death can change what is available to you, including options that were not on the table while both of you were listed. What applies depends on how the loan and title are actually set up, which is worth reviewing directly rather than assuming.
What if my tenant stopped paying?
A tenant who has stopped paying changes the math on a property you were already struggling to carry, and it can shorten how much time you have. What is available depends on the lease, on the eviction timeline where the property sits, which varies by state, and on how the loan compares to the property’s value.
About what happens next
Who will you connect me with?
Whichever kind of professional your situation actually calls for: an agent who handles distressed sales, an attorney who works on short sales or loan modifications, or a bankruptcy attorney. That referral is matched to your case rather than pulled from a standing list, and which one, if any, fits you is worked out during the consultation.
Do I have to work with whoever you refer me to?
No. A referral is a suggestion, not a requirement. You are free to work with someone else, to look further on your own, or to work with no one at all — who you talk to after the consultation is your choice.
What does it cost me?
The consultation itself costs nothing. If a next step involves an attorney or another professional, what that costs is explained to you plainly before you commit to it, but finding out where you stand does not cost you anything.
What if none of the options fit?
That happens, and you will be told plainly rather than steered toward whatever we do offer. Sometimes the honest next step is a free HUD-approved housing counselor, and that is what you will hear if it is the case for you.
Do you buy houses?
No. We are not a cash-buyer or an investor, and we do not make offers on properties. What we do is help you see which of your options actually apply, and connect you with the right kind of professional if one is needed.
Are you attorneys?
No, and we will not act like one. Some of what comes up in a consultation is a legal question — what a deficiency waiver actually says, what your state does about redemption, how a lien affects a sale — and where you have reached one of those, we will say so and point you to someone qualified rather than guess.
Still have a question this page did not answer?
The consultation covers your specific situation, not a general one. It costs nothing, and there is nothing to sign.