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Free help to avoid foreclosure in Florida — who do I call?

Use the free tool — Mortgage Hardship Helper

What's happening, and why it feels urgent

You missed a payment, or you can see one coming — a layoff, a medical bill, a divorce, a storm. It feels like the house could disappear tomorrow. It won't. Federal rules give you a window, and Florida's process gives you more time than most people think. This page tells you what the rules actually say, so you can call the right people this week.

Your timeline: what the law requires before anyone can take the house

Under federal mortgage-servicing rules, your servicer generally can't start foreclosure until you're more than 120 days behind — and must tell you your options by day 45 (CFPB — Mortgage servicing rules).

• In Florida, the lender must sue you in court — this is a judicial foreclosure state.
• You have 20 days from being served the lawsuit to file a written answer (Fla. Stat. ch. 702 — Foreclosure).
• The process typically takes many months, though it can be sped up on the lender's motion under Fla. Stat. 702.10.
• Many circuits offer foreclosure mediation before the case goes further.
• Your homestead is protected from most other creditors — but not from the mortgage lender.

Nobody can promise you an exact number of months. Confirm your dates with a HUD counselor or legal aid.

The options, in the order that protects the house

What your servicer offers depends on the loan type. These are listed as currently published — a counselor or your servicer will confirm which ones apply to you today.

• FHA: forbearance, repayment plan, loan modification, or the Partial Claim — an interest-free HUD lien for the missed payments, repaid only when the loan ends (HUD — FHA loss mitigation).
• VA: repayment plan, special forbearance, modification, and current VA servicing options.
• USDA: forbearance, repayment plan, modification, mortgage recovery advance.
• Conventional (Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac): forbearance, repayment plan, payment deferral, Flex Modification.

If the hardship came from an insurance or tax escrow jump, ask your servicer for an escrow analysis and a 12-month spread of the shortage. If it came from a declared disaster, ask by name about disaster forbearance and moratorium programs — FHA, VA, USDA and GSE loans all have them.

The hardship letter to send this week

Keep it short and honest — no pleading. Include:

• The date, and your loan number.
• What happened, in three sentences, with dates.
• Whether the hardship is temporary or permanent.
• Your income now, and what you expect.
• What you can pay, and starting when.
• The specific option you're requesting.
• A request for the complete loss-mitigation application package, and written confirmation it was received.

Who to call — for free

• HUD-approved housing counselors work with you and your servicer at no cost: 1-800-569-4287 (HUD — Find a housing counselor).
• Florida legal aid offers free foreclosure defense for homeowners who qualify, by county (FloridaLawHelp.org).
• Never pay money up front to a company promising to fix your mortgage — charging fees before getting you a modification is against federal law (FTC — Mortgage relief scams). Never stop paying, sign over your deed, or transfer the home on anyone's say-so.

What to do next

This free tool reads what actually happened to you and your loan numbers — the hardship, how far behind you are, your servicer, your loan type — and gives back the options in order, your real Florida timeline, and a hardship letter ready to send. No account, nothing stored. Mortgage Hardship Helper is not a lawyer or a HUD counselor and can be wrong — confirm everything with a free HUD counselor (1-800-569-4287) and, if you've been sued, Florida legal aid, today.

Mortgage Hardship Helper explains federal mortgage-servicing rules, loan-program options and Florida foreclosure procedure in plain language from official sources; it can be wrong, and it is not legal or financial advice. Program terms change — your servicer and a HUD counselor confirm what applies. Nothing you paste is stored.