# Before the sale date checklist

Answer a few questions about where you are in a foreclosure to see what to do next, in what order. Free help exists: HUD-approved housing counseling and legal aid.

Use the tool on the [web page](https://foreclosurelistings.fyi/tools/before-the-sale-date). It works without JavaScript.

## How to use it

1. Choose where are you in the process?.
2. Enter days until the sale date.
3. Enter i have contacted my lender or servicer in writing.
4. Enter i have talked to a hud-approved housing counselor.
5. Enter a court foreclosure case was filed against me.
6. Enter i filed an answer to the court complaint.
7. Enter someone offered to save my home for an upfront fee, or asked for my deed.
8. Read the result.

## How it works

The checklist follows the steps named by official sources: the CFPB's mortgage help guide (ask the servicer about loss mitigation, contact a HUD-approved counselor), state court self-help pages (answer deadlines in judicial states) and FTC/state attorney general warnings on foreclosure rescue scams.

HUD-approved housing counseling for mortgage default is free or low cost, per HUD's own guidance; the HUD hotline is 800-569-4287. Method checked 2026-10-20.

> This checklist is a guide, not legal advice. Your notice, your loan and your state's law set the real deadlines; a foreclosure lawyer or HUD-approved counselor can confirm them.

## Questions

### Is HUD counseling really free?

HUD-approved agencies must provide foreclosure and default counseling free or at low cost, and cannot turn you away for inability to pay. The HUD hotline is 800-569-4287.

### What if I already paid a rescue company?

Stop further payments, keep every document, and report it to your state attorney general and the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov. A legal aid office may be able to help.

### Do I have to move out before the sale?

No. In most states you can stay in the home until the sale — and often until a court orders possession. The timeline tool shows your state's process and any redemption period.

> **Not legal advice.** ForeclosureListings is a directory, not a law firm, and it does not list homes for sale. Nothing on this site is legal advice, and using it does not create an attorney-client relationship. A listing is not a recommendation. Facts come from the source named on each listing, with the date they were checked; sale venues, schedules and rules change, so confirm everything with the office or agency named before you act or pay. Beware of foreclosure rescue scams: never pay an upfront fee for help saving your home, and never sign your deed over to a stranger. Free help is available from HUD-approved housing counselors. To report a mistake, write to hello@foreclosurelistings.fyi.