Pre-Foreclosure Resolution Program™: Clear Next Steps Before Key Deadlines

Yes, often—but timing depends on your sale date, payoff details, and whether you can close before later court milestones. Selling earlier in the process can give you more flexibility and may reduce pressure as deadlines approach.

Possibly. If the sale price won’t cover the payoff, a short sale may be required and the lender must agree. You can still sell, but the process typically involves lender review through loss mitigation, and outcomes vary by case.

Yes. Late payments don’t prevent a sale by themselves. In Maryland, you generally retain ownership until the foreclosure sale is ratified by the court, so selling earlier may help preserve flexibility and any remaining equity (if any).

Federal servicing rules generally restrict a servicer from making the first official foreclosure notice or filing until a borrower is more than 120 days delinquent (with some exceptions). This is often an early window to review options based on your specific situation.

It depends on your case status and timing. Options can include resolving the debt (through a sale or other arrangements), requesting foreclosure mediation if eligible, or exploring legal remedies. If you need legal guidance, consider speaking with an attorney or a housing counselor.

It depends. Selling before a completed foreclosure may help you avoid the final “foreclosure” event on your credit report, but late payments and hardship history may still appear.

In Maryland, after an auction occurs, the lender files a Report of Sale and the court can ratify (approve) the sale after the exceptions period. Once ratification happens, ownership typically transfers and options can become very limited.

Timelines vary by lender and loan terms. Maryland’s process commonly includes a Notice of Intent to Foreclose, and later an Order to Docket (the foreclosure action filed with the court), subject to required waiting periods and notice rules.

This is a document filed in the case related to the lender’s loss mitigation review. In Maryland, it can be connected to your window to request foreclosure mediation (timing depends on how you’re served and what’s included in the mailing).

Possibly. If the sale price won’t cover the payoff, a short sale may be required and the lender must agree. Our Dual-Path Solution™ gives you two practical directions: (1) a private cash-sale path when speed and certainty matter, or (2) a Realtor® strategy path that coordinates the listing and works through the lender’s loss mitigation process as part of the short sale review. Because deficiency exposure can vary by situation, borrowers are encouraged to consult legal counsel, and we can connect you with Courthouse Title & Settlements, LLC when lender-side coordination is needed.

Not necessarily. Move-out timing depends on the buyer, closing terms, and your situation. In some sales, a flexible move-out timeline may be possible.

Foreclosure auctions are generally public, and upcoming sales may be advertised and appear in public case records.

Often, you can sell the inherited property to resolve the debt—but you typically need legal authority to act (for example, appointment as Personal Representative). If you’re dealing with probate + time pressure, see our inherited house guide: Sell Inherited House in Maryland (Guide).