Georgia homeowner action guide
A foreclosure has been scheduled. Start here.
You may still have options, but Georgia can move quickly. Use this guide to confirm what is happening, request the right figures in writing, organize your documents, and decide what help fits your situation. Start today, even if you already have a plan.
First 24 hours
Confirm the file and create a written record
- 1.Call the mortgage servicer using the number on your latest statement, not a number supplied by an unexpected caller.
- 2.Confirm the exact sale date and identify the foreclosure attorney or law firm handling the file.
- 3.Request a written reinstatement quote, a payoff statement, and the complete mortgage-assistance application.
- 4.Open every letter, save every envelope, and start a call log. Do not assume an application or verbal promise has postponed the sale.
The three written requests people often confuse
1. Reinstatement quote
This is the amount the servicer will accept to bring the loan current without paying off the entire mortgage. Ask for the amount in writing, the date through which it is valid, acceptable payment methods, and delivery instructions.
2. Payoff statement
This is the amount required to satisfy the mortgage completely as of a specified date. It is usually needed for a sale or refinance and is different from the principal balance or reinstatement amount. Ask whether the servicer has a specific written-request process.
3. Loss-mitigation application
This is the servicer's application for mortgage assistance. Ask for the full package and a written list of missing items. Submit every requested page, keep proof of delivery, and ask the servicer to confirm in writing when the application is complete.
The CFPB explains that a reinstatement amount may be valid only through a stated date, while a payoff statement covers the amount required to pay the loan in full. See the CFPB mortgage-statement rule and its explanation of a mortgage payoff amount.
Servicer call script
Read this before ending the call
“I received notice that my property is scheduled for foreclosure. I want to understand every option still available. Please confirm the exact sale date and identify the attorney handling the file. Please send me a written reinstatement quote, a payoff statement, and the complete loss-mitigation application. Tell me every document you need, the deadline to submit a complete application, and how I will receive written confirmation if the sale is postponed or canceled.”
Questions to ask and write down
- What is the exact scheduled sale date, time, and location?
- Who is the foreclosure attorney or law firm handling the file, and what is the file number?
- What is the current reinstatement amount, and through what date is that figure valid?
- Please send me a written reinstatement quote with payment instructions and a good-through date.
- Please send me a payoff statement if I need to pay the loan in full through a sale or refinance.
- Please send me the complete loss-mitigation or mortgage-assistance application and a list of every required document.
- Which home-retention and home-exit options will you review me for?
- What deadline must I meet for the servicer to review a complete application before the sale?
- Who owns or guarantees my loan, and is it conventional, FHA, VA, or USDA?
- How will I receive written confirmation if the sale is postponed or canceled?
How the Georgia schedule generally works
Georgia generally uses nonjudicial foreclosure, so the lender may be able to proceed without filing a lawsuit first. Georgia's Attorney General says the written notice must generally be sent at least 30 days before the proposed sale. It should identify someone with authority to negotiate, amend, or modify the loan and include a copy of the sale advertisement.
The sale notice is published in the county's official newspaper for public announcements for four consecutive weeks. Mortgage foreclosure sales generally occur at the courthouse in the county where the property is located on the first Tuesday of the month between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
A postponement is possible, but a pending application, verbal promise, or missing online listing is not proof that the sale stopped. Confirm the current status with the servicer and foreclosure attorney. Contact a Georgia attorney promptly if the date is close, the facts are disputed, or you are considering bankruptcy or court action.
Build one complete document folder
- Every page of the foreclosure notice and the envelope it arrived in
- The latest mortgage statement and loan number
- Two recent pay stubs or other proof of income for each borrower
- Two recent bank statements, including every page
- The two most recent federal tax returns if the servicer requests them
- A monthly list of household income and expenses
- A short hardship statement explaining what changed, when it changed, and whether the hardship is temporary or permanent
- Property-tax, homeowners-insurance, HOA, bankruptcy, divorce, probate, or other documents that affect the property or loan
- A call log with dates, names, reference numbers, promises, and deadlines
Paths that may let you keep the home
Availability depends on the loan, investor, hardship, income, timing, and whether the servicer receives a complete application.
CFPB says a complete application received more than 37 days before a scheduled sale generally receives important federal review protections. Earlier is better. A servicer may still review a later application, but do not assume the same protections apply. Read the CFPB explanation of loss-mitigation review.
- Reinstatement
- Pay the amount required to bring the loan current. Use a written quote with a good-through date because fees and interest can change the figure.
- Repayment plan
- Repay missed amounts over time in addition to the regular monthly payment.
- Forbearance
- Temporarily reduce or pause payments. Ask exactly how the skipped amount will be repaid and what happens when the period ends.
- Loan modification
- Change one or more loan terms to resolve the delinquency. Ask whether a trial payment plan is required and get the final terms in writing.
- Loan-specific assistance
- FHA, VA, USDA, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac loans can have different assistance programs. The loan owner or guarantor affects which rules and options apply.
Paths for leaving the home
Before transferring title or allowing anyone to take over payments, have a qualified Georgia attorney review the documents and explain who remains liable for the mortgage. Georgia's Consumer Protection Division recommends getting all promises in writing and not signing documents you do not understand.
- Traditional or direct sale
- If the expected sale price can cover the mortgage payoff, liens, costs, and taxes, a sale may preserve remaining equity. Compare net proceeds, timing, and certainty before signing.
- Short sale
- If the property may sell for less than the total debt, the servicer must approve a short sale. Ask in writing how any remaining balance will be treated.
- Deed in lieu
- Transfer the property to the lender if the lender agrees. Ask about junior liens, relocation assistance, and whether the agreement releases the remaining debt.
Verify records and find your county
Start with your mailed notice, the servicer, and the foreclosure attorney for the scheduled date. County property sites help confirm the parcel, owner name, and tax record, but they are not the controlling source for a mortgage foreclosure date.
- Georgia Department of Revenue county property-record directory links to property lookup sites for all 159 counties.
- Georgia Superior Court Clerks' Cooperative Authority real-estate index explains the statewide deed, assignment, lien, and related filing index.
- Georgia Public Notice search can help locate online copies of notices. Verify any result against the official county legal organ and the notice sent to you.
Metro Atlanta county property lookups
If the servicer's records appear wrong
A phone call may resolve a simple issue. For a disputed payment, unexplained fee, missing application document, incorrect sale status, or other servicing problem, CFPB provides sample letters for a written request for information or notice of error. Use the special address your servicer designates for those requests, keep a copy, and keep delivery proof.
CFPB mortgage information and error-request lettersIndependent help
You do not have to navigate this alone
- Find a HUD-approved housing counselor or call 800-569-4287. HUD says foreclosure counseling through its participating agencies is free.
- Metro Atlanta homeowners in Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Clayton, and Gwinnett counties can contact Atlanta Legal Aid. Homeowners elsewhere in Georgia can contact Georgia Legal Services Program. Eligibility rules apply.
- If bankruptcy or emergency court action is being considered, consult a Georgia attorney immediately. Filing has serious consequences, and only an attorney who understands your full situation should advise you.
Free 15-minute options conversation
Already working on a plan? That is a good start.
I'm Mo with Horizon Recovery LLC. I can help you organize the questions to ask, understand the figures you have received, and think through the next steps you may want to explore. There is no pressure and no obligation to sell your home.
Call or text between 9 a.m. and 8 p.m. Eastern.
Horizon Recovery LLC is not affiliated with your lender, mortgage servicer, foreclosure attorney, court, or any government agency. Horizon Recovery LLC is not a law firm, mortgage servicer, housing-counseling agency, credit-repair company, or real estate brokerage. We cannot stop or postpone a foreclosure, change your loan, or guarantee an outcome. This page provides general educational information and is not legal, tax, financial, credit, or bankruptcy advice. Programs, deadlines, and eligibility rules can change. Confirm current requirements with your servicer and qualified advisers.