Free foreclosure guides

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What to do now

• Sale Date Scheduled: Emergency Checklist for the Last 20 Days

  A calm checklist for the last 20 days before the sale.

• Where Am I in the Foreclosure Process? Stage Finder

  Find your stage in the foreclosure process and what to do now.

• The California Foreclosure Timeline Cheat Sheet

  Each foreclosure step and the least time it can take.

• Judicial vs. Nonjudicial Foreclosure: Which One Are You Facing?

  How to tell if your foreclosure is in court or not.

Know your rights

• The California Homeowner Bill of Rights in Plain English

  The California rules that protect homeowners, in plain words.

• How a Complete Loan Modification Application Can Pause Foreclosure

  When a complete loan change request can pause a foreclosure.

• Reinstatement, Payoff, and Redemption: Three Rights People Confuse

  Three ways to keep your home by paying, and when each one ends.

• Is My Sale Really Postponed? How to Verify It

  How to confirm your sale was really postponed.

• Will I Still Owe Money After Foreclosure?

  When you may still owe money after a foreclosure.

• The Zombie Second Mortgage Guide

  What to do when an old second mortgage comes back.

• Your Servicer's Legal Duties Under Federal Rules

  What federal rules say your mortgage company must do and when.

Options to save the home or your equity

• Your Foreclosure Alternatives Compared

  A side-by-side look at your choices to avoid foreclosure.

• Loan Modification Application Packet Checklist

  The papers to send for a loan change, and a sample hardship letter.

• Servicer Call Log and Document Tracker

  A printable log to track every call and letter with your mortgage company.

• FHA Borrower's Guide to Avoiding Foreclosure

  Help options for people with an FHA loan who fell behind.

• VA Borrower's Guide, Including the VA Partial Claim

  Help options for people with a VA home loan.

• USDA Rural Home Loan Borrower's Guide

  Help options for people with a USDA rural home loan.

• Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Loans: Your Flex Modification Options

  Options to ask for if Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac owns your loan.

• Selling to Save Your Equity Without Getting Scammed

  How selling before the auction can protect your money.

Special situations

• Seniors and Reverse Mortgages: Foreclosure Help Guide

  What seniors and their families should know about reverse mortgage foreclosure.

• Behind on Property Taxes? The Tax Sale and Property Tax Postponement Guide

  How to stop a property tax sale or postpone your taxes.

• HOA Foreclosure Survival Guide

  Your rights when your HOA tries to foreclose.

• Military Families and Foreclosure: Your SCRA Protections

  Foreclosure protections for people serving in the military.

• Wildfire and Disaster Survivors: Mortgage Relief Guide

  Mortgage help after a wildfire or other disaster.

• Bankruptcy and Foreclosure: What the Automatic Stay Does

  How bankruptcy may pause a foreclosure sale, and its limits.

After the sale

• After the Auction: What Happens Next

  What happens to you and your home after the foreclosure auction.

• How to Claim Leftover Money After a Foreclosure Sale

  How to claim money left over after your home sold at auction.

• Renters in a Foreclosed Home: Your Rights

  Your rights as a renter when the home goes into foreclosure.

• How Tenants, Families, and Nonprofits Can Buy After the Auction

  How tenants, families, and nonprofits may buy a home after the auction.

Help and trust

• California Free Foreclosure Help Directory by County

  Free help programs for all 58 California counties.

• Foreclosure Rescue Scam Red Flags

  Warning signs of foreclosure scams and where to report them.

• Is That Program Still Open? Foreclosure Help Myth Buster

  Which California help programs have closed, and where to get help now.

• Questions to Ask a Housing Counselor or Foreclosure Attorney

  What to bring and ask at your first meeting with a counselor or lawyer.

• Foreclosure Glossary in Plain English

  Plain meanings of common foreclosure words.

• The Complete Break Free From Foreclosure Survival Kit

  Our most helpful foreclosure guides, all in one place.

Taxes

• Will I Owe Taxes After a Foreclosure or Short Sale? The 2026 Guide

  How forgiven mortgage debt may be taxed in 2026.

• California vs. the IRS: Why California May Tax Your Forgiven Mortgage Debt

  Why California may tax forgiven mortgage debt when the IRS does not.

• Got a 1099-C or 1099-A in the Mail? What to Do Next

  What Forms 1099-A and 1099-C mean for your taxes.

• The Insolvency Worksheet Walkthrough

  A step-by-step worksheet that may lower tax on forgiven debt.

• Recourse vs. Nonrecourse Loans: Why Your Loan Type Changes Your Tax Bill

  How your type of loan changes the tax on forgiven debt.

• The California Short Sale Withholding Surprise

  How to avoid or get back state tax held from your short sale.

• Short Sale, Foreclosure, or Deed in Lieu: The Tax Side-by-Side

  How taxes differ for a short sale, a foreclosure, and a deed in lieu.

• Tax Time Checklist After Losing Your Home

  The tax papers to gather after you lose your home.

• Lost a Rental Property to Foreclosure? Tax Guide for Small Landlords

  How taxes work when you lose a rental home.

More guides

• The California Short Sale Seller's Guide

  How a short sale works from start to finish.

• Cash for Keys: What to Know Before You Take the Deal

  What to know before you accept money to move out.

• Protect Your Home from Deed Fraud

  How to spot and stop a fake deed on your home.

• How to Answer an Eviction Lawsuit After Foreclosure

  How to answer an eviction case after foreclosure before the deadline.

• Living in the Home but Not Named in the Eviction? Claim Your Right to Stay

  What to do if you live in the home but are not named in the eviction.

• Where to Complain About Your Mortgage Servicer

  Which agency to contact about your mortgage company, and how to write a complaint.