Hello Bear,

I don’t know where you live, but there is no state in the union where a lender can foreclose on a property in under 30 days.  Lenders cannot even move fast enough to complete the appraisal and other steps HUD requires in less than 15 days.  I suggest you talk to the lender to discuss your plans with them. 

They will work with you, and if you are making positive steps toward either refinancing the loan or selling the property, they should be able to get an extension from HUD before they begin foreclosure.  Even once they start the foreclosure process, it takes time for a lender to foreclose on a loan, and I am not aware of any state in which that process can be completed in less than 120 – 180 days.

You should do a few things immediately.  Firstly, determine if there is any equity in the home.  If so, decide if you want to keep the house, which would require you to obtain a new loan in your name to pay off the, or determine what it would take to sell the home to retain the remaining equity.  If you are not the heirs, you must decide who will inherit the property and whether they intend to pursue it. 

If you are the heirs and the title has not passed to you from probate yet, I would advise you to seek the assistance of an attorney to speed that action if you intend to keep or sell the home so that the attorney can also work to stave off any foreclosure actions. 

Suppose you intend to avoid trying to keep or sell the home and plan to let the lender take it back through a foreclosure action. In that case, an attorney can advise you regarding the notification and periods to which the lender must adhere. Still, I don’t think you are being accurately informed if you are being told that you have less than 30 days before the lender can take the home and strongly suggest that you obtain legal counsel, even if you must go online and find a free legal counsel service.

Also See: Timeframe to Vacate Home After Reverse Mortgage