If you’re behind on your mortgage in Genesee County, the goal isn’t just understanding foreclosure — it’s stopping it. This guide walks through concrete steps in order, starting with what to do today. If a direct sale ends up being part of your plan, Genesee County Home Buyers can give you a fast, fair cash offer at any point in this process.

Step 1: Confirm Exactly Where You Stand

Call your loan servicer directly and ask three things: how many payments behind you are, whether a Notice of Default has been filed, and whether a sheriff’s sale date has been scheduled. Get this in writing if possible. You can’t build an effective plan without knowing your actual deadline.

Step 2: Contact a HUD-Approved Housing Counselor

This step is free and often skipped. A HUD-approved counselor can review your numbers, explain which options you likely qualify for, and in some cases communicate with your servicer on your behalf. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s foreclosure help center can help you find a local counselor.

Step 3: Decide Which Path Fits Your Situation

“The homeowners who stop foreclosure successfully are almost always the ones who pick a path in the first few weeks and stick with it — not the ones who wait to see which option ‘works itself out.'”
— Genesee County Home Buyers

Step 4: Act Immediately If a Sheriff’s Sale Date Is Already Set

If a sale date has been scheduled, your realistic window narrows fast. A loan modification application at this stage may not process in time. A direct cash sale, however, doesn’t depend on lender approval of a new loan — it depends only on your own decision and a title company’s ability to process the closing, which can often happen in 7-14 days. Our guide on selling to a cash buyer before the foreclosure auction covers exactly how that compressed timeline works.

Step 5: Get Your Payoff Statement

Whether you’re pursuing a modification, a sale, or bankruptcy, you’ll need a written mortgage payoff statement from your servicer showing exactly what’s owed, including any fees and legal costs already added. This number is central to almost every path forward.

Step 6: Know That You Can Still Sell, Even Mid-Process

Many homeowners assume that once foreclosure has formally started, selling is no longer an option. That’s rarely true in Michigan — you generally retain the right to sell your home right up until a sheriff’s sale is completed. Our guide on whether you can sell during foreclosure in Michigan answers this question in full detail.

Step 7: Don’t Go Silent

The single biggest mistake homeowners make is avoiding calls from their servicer or ignoring mail related to the loan. Servicers are generally required to review any complete loss mitigation application before proceeding further with foreclosure — but that only works if you engage with the process rather than avoiding it.

The Bigger Picture Statewide

Every option here is grounded in the same statewide framework that governs foreclosure across Michigan. Our broader guide on pre-foreclosure options homeowners should know in Michigan lays out the full legal landscape, and our guide on what happens after missed mortgage payments covers the earlier timeline in more detail if you’re just getting started.

Frequently Asked Questions