Deferred loans, financing, liens, repayment, insurance and property costs.
Last updated: July 28, 2026 Bottom Line Force-placed insurance is usually removed when you give your mortgage servicer proof that you have acceptable homeowners insurance. Send the declarations page to the exact insurance-proof address or portal shown on the servicer’s notice. Ask for written confirmation that the lender-placed policy was canceled. If your own policy … Read more
Last updated: July 28, 2026 Leave the unsafe area and call 911 if you smell gas, see sparks or fire, have carbon monoxide symptoms, or think a roof, floor, wall, or ceiling may collapse. Call the utility company for power-line, gas, or electrical service hazards. A repair application is not emergency shelter. Bottom line: Rural … Read more
Last updated: July 28, 2026 If the home is unsafe: Leave if there is a gas smell, fire, live wiring, floodwater, sewage, collapse risk, or an official unsafe notice. Call 911 for immediate danger. Do not enter until local officials say it is safe. Bottom line: FHA Section 203(h) is not a grant and does … Read more
Last updated: July 27, 2026 Bottom Line If your homeowners insurance bill is too high, act before the policy ends. Call the insurer, ask for the exact amount and deadline needed to keep coverage, and request every available discount or payment option. Then shop for the same level of coverage through other licensed insurers or … Read more
Last updated: July 27, 2026 Get emergency help first. Leave the home and call 911, the gas company, electric utility, fire department, or local emergency office if you smell gas, see sparks or smoke, hear a carbon monoxide alarm, have raw sewage inside, face active flooding, or believe a floor, wall, roof, or ceiling may … Read more
Last updated: July 28, 2026 If you received a tax sale, lien sale, foreclosure, sheriff sale, or court notice: Call the tax office shown on the notice today. Ask for the exact amount due, the last date to stop the sale, and every payment or hardship option. Then contact nonprofit legal aid. A deadline can … Read more
Last updated: July 28, 2026 Bottom line: Do not accept a repair loan only because the contractor makes it easy. First check local repair programs, USDA Section 504, your own bank or credit union, and government-backed renovation loans. A separate lender gives you more room to compare the cash price, loan price, contractor, and payment … Read more
Last updated: July 28, 2026 Immediate danger: If you smell gas, see sparking wires, have sewage entering the home, or believe part of the building may collapse, leave the unsafe area and call 911, the utility emergency line, or the local building department. Do not sign financing while dealing with an emergency. Bottom Line: Before … Read more
Last updated: July 28, 2026 Do not wait for HAF if a foreclosure sale, tax sale, court date, shutoff, or insurance cancellation is scheduled. Apply if eligible, but also contact your servicer, a HUD-approved counselor, and legal aid today. An application may not stop the deadline. Bottom Line: As of July 28, 2026, the national … Read more