What are my options?

1. Free first

• Find the date. Look for a notice of seizure or a sheriff’s sale date on any letter or paper you got. Everything works back from that date. Check an address on our sale list, or see the weekly sale counts.
• Call your loan servicer and ask for the loss mitigation department. Ask what they offer: a repayment plan, forbearance or a loan modification. Ask them to put it in writing.
• Call a HUD-approved housing counselor. It’s free, and they can talk to the servicer with you.
• If money for a lawyer is tight, Legal Services of North Louisiana and LouisianaLawHelp.org offer free civil legal help to people who qualify.

2. Know the timeline

• Louisiana foreclosures go through the court, and many move fast. Read how long foreclosure takes in Louisiana and what a notice of seizure means.

3. If selling makes sense

• If there’s time and equity, listing with an agent may bring the most money.
• If time is short or the house needs work, a direct sale as-is can close quickly. Charlie can walk you through both, and if you sell, the sale has to pay off the loan or be approved by the lender.

1. Free first

• Call your servicer now, before more payments stack up. Early calls have the most options.
• Ask about a repayment plan, forbearance or a loan modification, and get any offer in writing.
• A HUD-approved housing counselor is free and can help you build a budget and talk to the servicer.

2. Watch the mail

• Open every letter from the servicer or the court. If you see the words “notice of seizure” or a sale date, read our plain guide and call for help that week.

3. If selling makes sense

• Selling before a foreclosure starts usually leaves you more choices and more time. A sale has to pay off the loan or be approved by the lender.
• Charlie can tell you what the house might bring listed and what a direct as-is sale looks like. No cost to ask.

1. Free first

• Keep the house insured and the utilities on, and lock it up. Vacant houses get expensive fast.
• Check whether property taxes are paid. Late taxes can lead to a tax sale; see behind on property taxes.

2. The paperwork

• In Louisiana, heirs usually need a succession, ending in a judgment of possession, before they can sell. A lawyer who handles successions can tell you which kind fits; some smaller estates qualify for a simpler affidavit.
• Read selling a house in a succession. If there was a reverse mortgage, read this guide, because those loans have their own deadlines.

3. If selling makes sense

• If the heirs agree and the house is in good shape, listing it may bring the most.
• If it needs work, is full of belongings, or the heirs are spread out, a direct as-is sale can be simpler. Charlie has done this many times and can talk with every heir.

1. Free first

• Talk to your bankruptcy attorney before you sign anything about the house. In most cases the court or the trustee has to approve a sale.
• If you don’t have a lawyer, Legal Services of North Louisiana and LouisianaLawHelp.org list free and low-cost help for people who qualify.

2. Know the rules

• Filing usually puts a pause on collection, including a sheriff’s sale, but the pause has limits. Your attorney can tell you what applies in your chapter. Read selling a house in bankruptcy.

3. If selling makes sense

• A buyer who is used to court approval saves time. We work with your attorney and the trustee, and nothing closes without their OK.

1. Free first

• Ask your servicer for its short sale package and what it needs from you. The lender has to approve any sale for less than you owe.
• A HUD-approved housing counselor is free and can explain short sale, deed in lieu and loan modification side by side.
• Ask a tax professional about forgiven debt before you agree to anything.

2. Know your choices

• Read owe more than it’s worth for the plain version of each path.

3. If selling makes sense

• A short sale takes paperwork and patience. Charlie can tell you whether it’s likely to work for your house and what the lender will want to see.