If you’re worried about your mortgage, there’s a free, unbiased person whose whole job is to help you sort it out — and a lot of homeowners never learn that until much later than they wish they had. You’re not alone, and you don’t have to figure this out by yourself.
A HUD-approved housing counselor is a professional certified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to help homeowners facing hardship, whether that’s a missed payment, a foreclosure notice, or just the sense that something needs to change. These counselors work for nonprofit agencies, not for your lender and not for us, and the sessions are free because the agencies are funded through government grants. Their only job in that meeting is to help you.
What a housing counselor actually does
- Reviews your full picture. Income, expenses, and the mortgage terms — in plain language, not lender-speak.
- Lays out your real options. That might include a repayment plan (spreading missed payments over time), a loan modification (permanently adjusting your loan’s terms), or forbearance (a temporary pause on payments).
- Talks to your lender with you, or for you. Many homeowners find it far less stressful to have someone who does this every day handle that call.
- Helps you build a plan — even if part of that plan is deciding that selling makes more sense than staying.
If you have an Act 91 Notice in hand (Pennsylvania’s required pre-foreclosure notice), meeting with a counselor within 33 days is also the only way to apply for state mortgage assistance loan programs — so it’s worth doing even before you’ve decided what you want.
Free resources first
- PHFA’s Housing Counseling Network — search by ZIP code for a HUD-certified nonprofit counselor near you in Bucks, Montgomery, Philadelphia, or anywhere in Pennsylvania.
- The national HUD hotline — call 800-569-4287 for a referral to a certified counselor, free, in English or Spanish.
- Local agencies like NKCDC in Philadelphia — community-based nonprofits that offer free housing counseling alongside other hardship support.
- United Way 211 — dial 211 for a live person who can point you to the right local agency.
None of these cost anything, and none of them require you to already know what you want to do.
A trusted partner, if it fits
Sometimes a counselor’s review turns up an old debt or credit issue that’s part of the bigger picture. If that happens, we work with a credit repair partner — a resource we trust — who can help, only if and when it’s useful to you.
Hablamos español. Muchas agencias de consejería tienen consejeros bilingües — pregunta cuando llames.
You have options — let’s look at them together. Schedule your free, pressure-free Strategy Session at WayOutNow.com, or text Glen or Brie anytime at 215-999-7208. Hablamos español.
Way Out Now Solutions provides real estate guidance and connection to professional resources. We are not attorneys, lenders, or tax advisors, and nothing here is legal, financial, or tax advice. Outcomes vary by situation, and nothing is guaranteed.
