I defaulted on my mortgage payment – what now?
The last thing you want to do is to think about losing your home because you failed to make a couple of payments. No one really believes that the mortgage bank will foreclose on you, but you should understand the foreclosure process, what leads up to it and be ready to recognize and address the problems that affect your ability to make your mortgage payments on time.
When you signed the contract with your mortgage lender and he lent you the money to buy your house, you agreed that if you can’t repay the loan, the lender can ‘foreclose’ or take ownership of the house. So if you do not pay your monthly mortgage payment, you are technically in default on your mortgage. The law varies from state to state, but generally, a loan that is even 90 days delinquent can be considered as a cause for foreclosure.
Your lender may send you a notice warning you that he is about to start foreclosure proceedings. Don’t count on such a letter and don’t wait for one. Take steps to prevent a foreclosure as soon as you realize you are having trouble paying the mortgage! The first one is if you had a genuine reason for not making the payment, go and talk to the mortgage holder immediately.