Behind on Mortgage Payments in Ohio? Your Options

The short version

Call your mortgage servicer before you miss another payment. They would rather work something out than foreclose.
A HUD-approved housing counselor will go through your options with you for free.
A servicer generally can't start foreclosure until you are more than 120 days behind. Use that time.
If you can't afford the house any more, selling while you still have equity protects that money and your credit.

First, talk to your servicer and a housing counselor

Call the number on your mortgage statement and ask for the loss mitigation department. Tell them what happened and ask what they can offer. Get everything in writing, and keep notes on who you spoke to and when.

You don't have to do this alone. HUD-approved housing counselors help homeowners for free. Call 888-995-HOPE (4673) or search for a counselor on HUD's website. Be wary of anyone who charges an upfront fee to "save your home" or tells you to stop talking to your lender.

Ways to keep the house

Repayment plan. You catch up over a few months by paying extra on top of your regular payment. It works when the setback was temporary.
Forbearance. The servicer pauses or reduces payments for a set period. You still owe the money, and you need a plan for repaying it when the pause ends.
Loan modification. The servicer changes the loan itself, often by adding the missed payments to the balance, extending the term, or lowering the rate.
Refinance. A new loan with a lower payment, if your credit and income still qualify. It gets harder with each missed payment.
Bankruptcy. A Chapter 13 plan can stop a foreclosure and spread the missed payments over several years. Talk to a bankruptcy attorney.

All of these assume you can afford the house going forward. If the payment no longer fits your income, a plan to catch up only delays the problem.

Want to know what selling would leave you with?

We will make a cash offer on your house with no obligation, so you can weigh it against your other options.

Get my cash offer Call 216-990-0277 Text us

When selling is the better choice

Selling is not failing. It is how you turn the equity in the house back into money while it is still yours. Consider it when:

Your income has dropped and isn't coming back soon.
You owe less than the house is worth, so a sale leaves you with cash.
The house needs repairs you can't pay for.
You are already more than a couple of payments behind and the fees are adding up.

If you sell before the lender forecloses, you pay off the loan, keep what is left, and avoid a foreclosure on your credit report. Our home sale calculator shows roughly what you would keep from a listed sale and from a cash sale.

Listing, selling for cash, or a short sale

List with an agent if the house is in good condition and you have a few months. It will usually bring the highest price, but you keep making payments, or falling further behind, until it closes.

Sell for cash if you need certainty and speed, or the house needs work. Cleveland Quick Sale buys as-is with no commissions and no fees, and most sales close in 30 days or less. We pay off your lender at closing and you get the rest.

Short sale if you owe more than the house is worth. The lender has to approve the price and agree to take less than the balance. It is slower and the lender is in control, but it beats a foreclosure.

If the lender has already filed a foreclosure, read how to sell your house before foreclosure in Ohio.

Common questions

How many payments can I miss before foreclosure in Ohio?

Federal rules generally keep a servicer from starting a foreclosure until you are more than 120 days behind. After that the lender can file a lawsuit, and Ohio foreclosures go through court, which adds more months.

Can I sell my house if I am behind on payments?

Yes. The missed payments and fees are added to your payoff and paid from the sale at closing. As long as the price covers what you owe, you keep the difference.

Does selling hurt my credit?

The sale itself does not. The late payments already reported will stay on your credit report, but paying the loan off through a sale avoids a foreclosure, which is a much heavier mark.

What if I am also behind on property taxes?

Unpaid property taxes are a lien on the house. They are paid from the sale proceeds at closing along with the mortgage, so they don't stop you from selling.

This page is general information about selling a house in Ohio, not legal, tax, or financial advice. Talk to an Ohio attorney or a HUD-approved housing counselor about your own situation.