Property Foreclosure: Facts, Process and Timeframe Explained

The foreclosure timing and length depend on your specific circumstances and the state in which your home is located. But according to data from ATTOM, the average foreclosure timeline is 736 days, or almost two years. Before the Housing Bubble’s pop in 2009, most homes foreclosed in under 200 days. Ideally, you should immediately complete and send the application to your loan servicer. If you agree to a settlement with the lender at any point, the foreclosure judgment may be avoided. Lenders will generally start foreclosure proceedings between three and six months after your first missed payment, according to the US Department of Housing and Urban Development.

  • The further along in the preforeclosure process you get, the more difficult it can get to keep your home.
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  • Another significant impact from increased foreclosure rates is on school mobility of children.
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The lender will look to recover the loan by taking possession and selling the property. Homeowners who are struggling with their mortgage payments have several options. With a short sale, you get permission from your lender to sell your home for less than you owe on the mortgage. With a foreclosure, the lender seizes the home and sells it at auction.

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Foreclosure is the legal process that occurs when a homeowner fails to make full principal and interest payments on their mortgage. If this issue is not rectified within a specified grace period, the lender has the right to evict the homeowner, take control of the property, and then sell it off. So, don’t get caught off guard if you’re a Georgia homeowner behind in mortgage payments. Learn about each step in a Georgia foreclosure, from missing your first payment to a foreclosure sale. However, if the home’s value is less than the amount you owe on your first mortgage, your second mortgage is, in essence, an unsecured loan. The junior lender will have gone through the expense of foreclosing but would get no money out of it.

  • Many foreclosed homes remain vacant for extended periods, becoming magnets for squatters.
  • For example, in Hawaii, foreclosure can be as fast as one month or as long as four to 6 months depending on the foreclosure type.
  • By paying this amount, you can prevent the next steps in the foreclosure process.
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These include credit counseling, meeting with a bankruptcy trustee, and attending a creditors’ meeting. Bankruptcy can help in discharging unsecured debts, such as credit card debts and medical bills. This can free up more income to put towards the mortgage, increasing the chances of keeping the home. The law took effect on December 30, 2022, and applies retroactively to any pending foreclosure action filed before that date for which a final judgment and order of sale had not been enforced.

Further borrower’s obligations

If the lender is willing to sell a foreclosed home on an individual basis, it will be listed with a realtor. You may be able to refinance the debt and extend the term of your mortgage loan. This will help you catch up by possibly reducing the monthly payments to a more affordable level.

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