A missed payment is a signal to act, not a reason to hide
A PCS, deployment-related disruption, medical expense, job loss, divorce, or other hardship can turn a manageable mortgage into a difficult one. Waiting usually reduces your options. Contact your mortgage servicer as soon as you expect trouble, even before a payment is missed. The servicer is the company listed on your mortgage statement and may be different from the lender that originated the loan. Asking for help does not guarantee a particular result, but an early, complete request gives the servicer and VA more time to evaluate the available paths.
1. Call the servicer and describe the real problem
Tell the servicer whether the hardship appears temporary or permanent, when it began, what has changed in your income or expenses, and whether you can make a reduced payment. Mention military orders or a PCS because those facts may affect the options worth reviewing. Ask for the loss-mitigation or home-retention department, the name or identification number of your contact, a written list of required documents, and the deadline for returning them. Take notes after every conversation and save every letter, portal message, and confirmation number. Keep making any payment the servicer instructs you to make under a written agreement.
2. Contact VA as a second source of help
For a VA-guaranteed loan, a VA loan technician can help you communicate with the servicer and understand the options that may apply. VA says it automatically assigns a technician after a VA-backed loan becomes 61 days past due, but you do not need to wait that long to ask for help. Use the official VA home-loan support portal or the contact information on VA.gov. VA also offers financial counseling to Veterans and eligible surviving spouses even when the mortgage is not VA-guaranteed. A technician can explain the program, but the facts of your loan and hardship still determine whether you qualify for a specific solution.
3. Build a complete mortgage-assistance request
Your servicer may ask for an application, hardship explanation, recent income records, bank statements, tax information, and a household budget. Return a complete package through the servicer’s verified secure channel and ask the servicer to confirm whether anything is missing. Update documents promptly if requested. Keep a simple timeline showing when you sent each item and when it was acknowledged. If a deadline or foreclosure notice arrives, do not assume a pending request makes it irrelevant; contact the servicer, VA, and a HUD-approved housing counselor immediately. Share Social Security numbers and financial records only through verified secure channels, never through a general real estate or agent-match form.
4. Compare the main ways to keep the home
A temporary forbearance can pause or reduce payments, but the skipped amount is not automatically forgiven or added to the end of the loan. Ask exactly how and when it must be repaid. A repayment plan spreads missed amounts across scheduled payments. A loan modification changes one or more loan terms and may add missed payments and allowable costs to the balance. VA describes traditional, 30-year, and 40-year modification paths, depending on the circumstances and servicer review. For every offer, request the new principal balance, interest rate, term, monthly principal-and-interest amount, escrow estimate, effective date, and total amount you will repay. A lower immediate payment can come with a longer term or greater lifetime cost.
5. Ask specifically about the VA Partial Claim Program
VA launched the VA Partial Claim Program in June 2026 for certain borrowers who experienced a hardship and can resume regular payments. VA’s current guidance says the borrower first completes a three-month trial payment plan. If the partial claim is approved after the trial, the servicer brings the mortgage current and VA reimburses the eligible overdue amount. That amount becomes a separate obligation owed to VA, generally due when the original mortgage is paid off, refinanced, or the home is sold. It is not debt forgiveness. VA has given servicers until November 28, 2026, to finish adding the program to their systems, so some servicers may still be implementing it. Ask whether your servicer accepts applications now, what eligibility rules apply, what the trial amount will be, and how the partial-claim balance could affect a later sale or refinance.
6. If keeping the home is not workable, compare exit options early
Selling before foreclosure may protect more of your equity and give you more control over timing. If the likely sale price will not cover the mortgage and selling expenses, ask the servicer about a short sale. A deed in lieu of foreclosure transfers the property to the servicer under an approved arrangement. These choices can affect credit, taxes, relocation plans, and future use of the VA benefit. VA warns that a short sale, deed in lieu, or foreclosure can reduce the home-loan entitlement available later, and restoring entitlement may require repaying VA for its loss. Ask VA to explain your entitlement before signing an agreement, and consider independent legal or tax advice for your circumstances.
7. Use free, independent help and recognize scams
A HUD-approved housing counselor can help you organize documents and evaluate options at little or no cost. Active-duty service members may also contact a military legal assistance office about rights that could apply to their orders and situation. Be suspicious of anyone who demands an upfront fee, guarantees they will stop foreclosure, tells you to stop speaking with your servicer, asks you to sign over the deed, or redirects mortgage payments to a new recipient. A government-looking seal does not prove legitimacy. Verify contacts through VA.gov, HUD, or the phone number printed on your mortgage statement, and never send money or documents because of an unsolicited message.
A focused 48-hour action list
First, gather your latest mortgage statement, income information, monthly budget, military orders if relevant, and every notice from the servicer. Second, call the servicer, explain the hardship, and request its complete mortgage-assistance checklist. Third, contact VA and a HUD-approved housing counselor using official channels. Fourth, write down every deadline and send requested documents securely, keeping proof of delivery. Finally, compare any written proposal by payment, balance, rate, term, repayment trigger, and effect on future plans—not simply by whether it postpones the next payment.
What a VA-experienced agent can—and cannot—do
If a sale becomes the responsible option, a local VA-experienced real estate agent can help estimate market value, explain the local sale process, and coordinate with the servicer and closing team. A military veteran is requested when one is available. Agent coverage varies by location, and an introduction cannot guarantee representation, a successful short sale, financing terms, or loan approval. An agent does not replace the servicer, VA loan technician, housing counselor, attorney, or tax professional. Use each professional for the part of the decision they are qualified to handle.
Check the official guidance
Program rules can change. Confirm your circumstances with VA and your lender.
VA.gov: Help with mortgage paymentsVA: The VA Partial Claim Program can help Veterans stay in their homesVA News: Six steps to avoid foreclosure on a VA home loanCFPB: Options when you cannot pay your mortgageCFPB: Help for homeownersCFPB: How to avoid foreclosureGeneral education only. Loan approval, property eligibility, costs, and contract rights depend on individual circumstances. We are an independent resource, not VA or a lender.
Keep exploring the VA loan guide