Call the mortgage servicer and the attorney or sheriff listed on your notice now. You can also contact an Indiana foreclosure attorney and a HUD-approved housing counselor. The CFPB says foreclosure-prevention counseling is available free of charge. A property offer is only one possible exit option and does not pause a court case.
Start with the documents that control your deadline
Indiana mortgage foreclosure is handled through the courts. Generic online timelines cannot tell you how much time remains in a particular case. Find the complaint, summons, judgment, and sheriff-sale notice, then confirm the current status with the court record, servicer, or your attorney.
The Indiana Judicial Branch foreclosure-help page explains that eligible borrowers may request a settlement conference with the lender. The Indiana Attorney General's homeowner-rights page also describes that process. Court staff cannot give legal advice, so get a lawyer if you need advice about deadlines, defenses, redemption, a deficiency, or the effect of a proposed sale.
Compare stay-in-the-home and exit options
The right choice depends on your income, property value, loan balance, hardship, and court schedule. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau recommends contacting the servicer immediately and lists possible options such as repayment plans, forbearance, loan modification, refinance, short sale, and deed-in-lieu. Availability is not guaranteed.
When a sale may work
A standard sale generally needs enough funds to satisfy the mortgage payoff and other amounts required at closing. The title company reviews ownership and liens, requests payoff information, prepares a settlement statement, and coordinates signatures. If a foreclosure is active, the seller or counsel must also confirm what the lender and court require.
If the expected price will not cover the required payoff, do not assume the difference disappears. A short sale requires the lender's written approval, and the approval should state how any remaining balance is treated. Mortgage-debt cancellation may also have tax consequences. Mortgage Forfeiture does not promise lender approval or provide legal, credit, or tax advice.
What a Mortgage Forfeiture offer does—and does not—mean
- Property review: Roger reviews the property, condition, and available market information.
- Written offer: You receive terms you can compare with a listing, servicer options, and advice from your own professionals.
- Title and payoff: A title company checks ownership, liens, and payoff requirements.
- Estimated net: The settlement statement shows the purchase price, required payoffs, taxes, prorations, and expected seller proceeds before signing.
- Closing confirmation: Only a completed, funded closing and the lender's confirmation can determine whether a scheduled foreclosure sale is stopped.
We do not charge a company fee or agent commission. That does not mean the contract price always equals the seller's proceeds: mortgages, liens, taxes, prorations, and other required payoffs may reduce the net.
Credit and deficiency claims require individual advice
Do not rely on a promised credit-score change or recovery period. Late payments, a foreclosure filing, a completed foreclosure, and a short sale can be reported differently, and the effect varies by credit file and loan program. A completed sale may avoid an additional foreclosure event, but it cannot erase accurate earlier reporting.
Likewise, whether a lender may seek a remaining balance depends on the judgment, sale proceeds, loan documents, lender decisions, and applicable law. Have an Indiana attorney review the facts before assuming a direct sale, short sale, or sheriff sale resolves every obligation.
Free and official help
- Indiana Judicial Branch: Help with Mortgage Foreclosures
- Indiana Attorney General: Foreclosure Prevention
- CFPB Mortgage Help
- HUD Housing Counseling — or call 800-569-4287
Frequently asked questions
A sale may still be possible, but the title company must obtain current payoff information and determine whether ownership, liens, signatures, and the court schedule allow closing in time. Contact the servicer and an Indiana foreclosure attorney immediately if a sale is scheduled.
A normal sale cannot close unless the price and other funds cover required payoffs. A lender-approved short sale may be an option, but approval, timing, deficiency treatment, and tax consequences depend on the loan and lender.
No buyer can guarantee a credit outcome. Late payments and public filings may remain even if a completed sale pays off the loan before the sheriff sale. Ask the servicer how it will report the account and review your credit reports for accuracy.
Closing time depends on title, ownership, payoff letters, liens, signatures, and any required lender or court approvals. Do not rely on a promised date before the file is reviewed.
Related resources
- How Foreclosure Works in Indiana and Kentucky
- Options Before a Sheriff Sale
- Selling When Behind on Payments in Indiana
- What Is an As-Is Home Sale?
Reviewed August 26, 2026. This page provides general information, not legal, tax, credit, or foreclosure-rescue advice.