Homeowner Tips & Resources

The NC Housing Finance Agency understands that facing a foreclosure can be a stressful and difficult time for many North Carolinians. Following are some tips & resources to assist you in the meantime as well as recommendations on how to avoid falling prey to foreclosure preventionn scams.

Homeowner Tips

  • If you are unsure of how to get started, contact your loan servicer, which is the company or bank that you make your mortgage payments, to explore available options. They may be able to offer immediate help such as loan modification, payment deferral, partial claim or other options to cure the default.
  • Return calls from your loan servicer’s customer service or loss mitigation departments and provide them with any necessary correspondence pertaining to your loan.
  • Provide all documents requested by your loan servicer for assistance consideration and follow up to confirm receipt.
  • If you requested assistance from your servicer in the past and were denied, reach out to your servicer again for reconsideration. If your situation has changed or your hardship has continued, they may be able to review your loan again for available options and/or the options may have changed since you last applied for assistance.
  • If you requested assistance from your servicer and a response is still pending, reach out to your servicer for an update and continue to follow up until a decision has been made.
  • If your servicer has indicated that there are no available options for you, contact Legal Aid of North Carolina at 1-866-219-5262 or the Lawyer Referral Line at 1-800-662-7660 for legal services to explore other options not offered by your servicer.
  • Try to set aside as much money as possible to demonstrate recovery from your financial hardship and your ability to resume payments.
  • Reach out to a HUD-approved housing counseling organization for help.

Homeowner Resources

NC Homeowner Assistance Fund
Established through the 2021 American Rescue Plan to prevent mortgage delinquencies, defaults, displacements and foreclosures for homeowners experiencing financial difficulties due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Fund offers assistance of up to $40,000 for qualified homeowners as long as funding is available. The NC Homeowner Assistance Fund is being administered by the NC Housing Finance Agency and supported, in whole or in part, by federal award number HAF0019 awarded to the State of North Carolina by the US Department of the TreasurySee if you’re eligible and apply

State Home Foreclosure Prevention Project
Homeowners should call 888-442-8188 to be connected with a local housing counselor who can review their options, work with their servicer and refer them to free legal services.

FHA Resource Center
Homeowners with FHA loans who have contacted their servicers and have not received a response should contact the resource center at 800-225-5342 or [email protected] for assistance.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Homeowners can find additional resources and recommendations at the CFPB's Help for Homeowners. The site provides information on forbearance and how homeowners can locate their servicer.

995Hope Homeowner Counseling
Offered by the Homeownership Preservation Foundation since 2004, 995Hope works one-on-one with homeowners, providing free, confidential and comprehensive financial and foreclosure prevention education through the national Homeowner’s HOPE™ hotline – 1-888-995-HOPE (4673).

Federal Housing Finance Agency Interpretive Services
If you are looking to speak with someone in your preferred language about the mortgage process, mortgage documents, loan payments, staying in your home or avoiding scams or fraud, FHFA offers free-to-use interpretive services to help.

NC 211
NC 211 provides free and confidential information 24/7 on health and human services and resources within your community, maintained by the United Way of North Carolina. Dial 2-1-1 or 888-892-1162 for assistance and text COVIDNC to 898-211 to sign up for announcements and updates.

Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP)
LIEAP is a federally funded program that provides for a one-time vendor payment to help eligible households pay their heating bills. Households including a person aged 60 or older or people with disabilities receiving services through the NC Division of Aging and Adult Services are eligible to sign up for assistance from December 1–31, 2021. All other households may apply from January 1–March 31 or until funds are exhausted. 

HUD Homeowner Assistance
Homeowners can find HUD-approved counseling agencies' contact information, tips to avoid foreclosure and helpful videos to on HUD's Homeowner Help webpage.

Legal Aid of North Carolina
Legal Aid of NC provides free legal help to low-income North Carolinians in civil cases involving basic human needs like shelter and can help you retain ownership of your home. Call 866-219-LANC (5262) to apply for help.

Here to Help
Offered by Fannie Mae, Here to Help provides information on getting help for homeowners that have been financially impacted by the pandemic, including a Mortgage Loan Lookup Tool that lists what free resources are available.