Nov 11, 2026 · 5 min read · Northern Virginia
Behind on Your Mortgage? What Options Do You Have in Virginia?
What can I do if I am behind on my mortgage payments?
Call your mortgage servicer right away and ask which help you may qualify for. You can also talk with a HUD-approved housing counselor. This is general information, not legal advice, and no one can promise how your situation will turn out.
The Mike Webb Team (Mike and Claudia Webb, RE/MAX Allegiance) helps homeowners in Arlington, Northern Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, DC get their homes ready to sell and sold.
Who do I call first?
Call your mortgage servicer, the company you send your payment to. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) says to tell your servicer about your situation right away and ask which hardship options may be available. If your loan is with Virginia Housing, its page says that if you expect a serious problem paying because of a financial emergency, you should not wait until you have missed a payment. It describes a Borrower's Assistance Program and lists a loss mitigation line at 888-756-8603. Sources: CFPB, What is mortgage forbearance? and Virginia Housing, Foreclosure Prevention.
What is forbearance?
The CFPB says forbearance lets your servicer arrange for you to pause payments or pay less for a set time. You still owe the full amount, and you pay back the difference later. It does not erase or reduce what you owe. It is not automatic, so you have to ask. The CFPB says it can help with a hardship such as a natural disaster, unexpected medical costs, or a lost job. Some servicers also require you to ask within a set time after a disaster or other qualifying event.
How do you pay forbearance back?
The CFPB describes three common ways, and each has things to weigh:
- Paused payments repaid when forbearance ends. You pay the whole amount at once when payments restart. That can be a big bill, and interest on the paused amounts could keep adding up.
- Paused payments repaid at the end of the loan. The missed payments are added to the end of your mortgage or covered by a new loan. Your mortgage could run longer than the original term, or you may owe the new loan all at once.
- Reduced payments repaid during the loan. You pay less for a set number of months, then the difference is spread over later payments, so your monthly payment goes up for a while.
The CFPB says to keep asking questions until you understand how much you must pay, for how long, how interest builds up, and when and how you pay back the paused or reduced amounts.
Who can help me sort through it?
A HUD-approved housing counselor is trained and certified to help you look at your money, your mortgage options, and a plan. The CFPB says these agencies do not charge for foreclosure prevention counseling, and they can help you talk with your servicer. A counselor cannot promise you will keep your home. You can call the HOPE Hotline at (888) 995-HOPE (4673), open 24 hours a day, or call the CFPB at (855) 411-2372. You can also search by ZIP code with the CFPB's Find a Housing Counselor tool. Source: CFPB, What is a HUD-approved housing counseling agency?.
What should I have ready when I call a counselor?
The CFPB says a counselor will ask about your mortgage, such as the amount you owe and the date of your last payment, which is usually on your last mortgage statement. The counselor may also ask for pay stubs, tax returns, and recent bank statements. Pull those together before you call.
How soon can a foreclosure start?
The CFPB says that except in rare cases, your servicer cannot start the foreclosure process until you are at least 120 days behind. After that, how long it takes to reach a sale depends on the state's laws. The CFPB says to make sure your servicer gets your complete loss mitigation application more than 37 days before a scheduled sale. If it does, you should hear back in writing within 30 days. The servicer may offer an option, deny the request and tell you exactly why, or ask for more documents. Send what it asks for as soon as you can. Sources: CFPB, What is the 120-day rule? and CFPB, What happens after I complete an application?.
What if I get legal papers?
The CFPB says that if you are facing foreclosure or have been served with legal papers, a local bar association or legal aid may be able to help, and servicemembers can contact their local Legal Assistance Office. Talk with a Virginia attorney about your own case.
What if I think about selling?
Selling is one choice among several, and you can still sell if you owe on your mortgage. Read Can I Sell My House If I Still Owe on My Mortgage? and Get Your Home Ready to List in 30 Days. We can talk through your timeline and what a sale could look like, with no pressure.
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FAQ
Does forbearance wipe out what I owe?
No. The CFPB says you still owe the full amount and pay back the difference later.
Do I have to pay a counselor?
The CFPB says HUD-approved agencies do not charge for foreclosure prevention counseling.
Should I call you or my servicer first?
Your servicer and a HUD-approved counselor. We are real estate agents, not attorneys or counselors, but we are glad to talk about what a sale could look like.
Call or text Claudia at 703-350-3884 or visit claudiawebb.com.
The Mike Webb Team, RE/MAX Allegiance. Arlington, Virginia. Equal Housing Opportunity.