Home › Hardship Help
Behind on your mortgage? Start here.
Free tools, a step-by-step playbook and plain answers for homeowners who are behind on payments. Use them whether or not you ever talk to us.
Five steps, in order
- Call your servicer and ask for the loss mitigation department. Write down who you spoke to.
- Know your numbers. Work out the past-due amount with the catch-up calculator.
- Know your dates. The foreclosure calendar finds the earliest dates on a Texas notice.
- Pick what to ask about. The options quiz lists the choices worth raising.
- Build your package. Use the budget, the letter generator and the checklist.
The whole path is in our Homeowner Hardship Playbook, which you can print or save as a PDF.
Free hardship tools
Texas foreclosure calendar
Turns the dates on a Texas notice into the earliest sale date and days left to act.
Behind on TaxesBack property tax calculator
Estimates the penalty and interest on back Texas property taxes, month by month.
Behind on PaymentsMortgage catch-up calculator
Shows a borrower what missed payments and fees add up to, and what a repayment plan would cost each month.
Help NowForeclosure options quiz
Five questions that point a borrower to the relief options worth asking their servicer about.
Behind on PaymentsModification affordability check
Compares a borrower's housing payment and debts to income and shows the reduction needed to reach a target ratio.
Behind on PaymentsHardship budget worksheet
A monthly budget that shows what is left over and how long it would take to cover a past-due amount.
Behind on PaymentsHardship letter generator
Turns a borrower's answers into a clear hardship letter they can copy and send. Nothing leaves the page.
Behind on PaymentsHardship document checklist
A step-by-step checklist of the calls to make and the papers to gather. Ticks save in the borrower's browser only.
Get free counseling
A HUD-approved housing counselor can review your budget and your options for little or no cost. Search at hud.gov/findacounselor or use the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau counselor finder.
Watch for scams
- Anyone who asks for an upfront fee to stop a foreclosure.
- Anyone who tells you to stop talking to your servicer.
- Anyone who asks you to sign over the deed or title.
Common questions
Who is this page for?
Homeowners who are behind on a mortgage or worried about falling behind. The tools work anywhere; the foreclosure dates apply to Texas.
Do I have to give you my information?
No. The tools run in your browser and send nothing to us. You can ask us for help at the bottom of the page, but you never have to.
What is a HUD-approved housing counselor?
A counselor at an agency approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Counseling is typically free or low-cost. Find one at hud.gov/findacounselor.
Is Captain Saves A Home a lender or a law firm?
No. We are a Houston home buyer. If selling is the right answer for you, we can make an offer, and we will tell you plainly when another option fits better.
If selling is on the table
Selling before a foreclosure sale can pay off the loan and protect any equity you have. Tell us your timeline and the address, and we will explain every number, with no obligation. Compare it honestly with listing using our cash offer vs. listing calculator.
General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Captain Saves A Home is a Houston home buyer, not a law firm, lender or government agency. We buy houses, so we have an interest in a sale; the tools are free to use whether or not you ever contact us.
Lenders and housing counselors
You can put these tools on your own website for free, with your name and colors. See tools for lender partners, the partner kit and the partner directory.