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What happens if you are 3 months behind on your mortgage?

Author

Sarah Martinez

Updated on February 02, 2026

If you miss a second mortgage payment, you’re likely to see a change in the mortgage servicer. This means they’d like to make an arrangement with you for payment if possible. By 90 days, if you don’t come to an agreement with your mortgage lender, and you miss three mortgage payments, it is a serious situation.

What happens if you are a month behind on mortgage?

If your payment ends up missing the due date and the grace period, your lender considers you a month late on your mortgage payment. You can expect to pay a late fee on your next mortgage statement. If you don’t, the loan won’t be considered current, even if you paid the full mortgage payment.

What happens if I get behind on my mortgage?

Lump-Sum Repayment If you find yourself behind on your mortgage payments and in danger of foreclosure, you can pay a lump sum to your mortgage lender to bring your account current. But this requires a big chunk of money down, so it may not work for your financial situation.

Can I skip one mortgage?

The consequences of missing one mortgage payment Skipping any bill, your mortgage included, could damage your credit score. The fee will be set by your mortgage lender and spelled out in your loan agreement. That said, mortgages generally come with a grace period that allows you to pay late and avoid a penalty.

Can I refinance my house if I’m behind on payments?

A: The late payments make it unlikely that you can refinance. You have probably done sufficient damage to your credit score that, even if you could refinance, the interest rate you might be offered would be little better than what you are paying today. You might instead talk to your servicer about a loan modification.

What is a foreclosure bailout?

A “foreclosure bailout loan” is a refinance loan that’s marketed to struggling homeowners to bring a home out of foreclosure. The homeowner takes out a new mortgage to pay off the loan that’s in default.

How long does it take for a foreclosure to start on a house?

If you’re behind in mortgage payments, you might be wondering how soon a foreclosure will start. Generally, a homeowner has to be at least 120 days delinquent before a mortgage servicer (the company that handles the loan account) starts a foreclosure.

When does foreclosure start after just two missed payments?

If the lender has a portfolio of high-risk loans, however, the possibility of foreclosure proceedings beginning even after just two missed payments is higher. Even if you are a low-risk borrower, the proceedings may be triggered by standards due to the overall default risk of the mortgage pool owned by the lender.

When does a mortgage servicer have to start foreclosure?

Under federal law, the servicer typically can’t officially start a foreclosure by making the “first notice or filing” (see below) required by state law until the borrower is more than 120 days’ delinquent. (12 C.F.R. § 1024.41). Before 2014, foreclosures often began when a mortgage loan was 90 days overdue—or sometimes even sooner.

When does a bank have to file for foreclosure?

By state law, the lender can’t file for foreclosure for at least 30 days after the initial notification. Many times, lenders present homeowners with payment restructure options to avoid foreclosure. Homeowners aren’t bound to accept new terms, but if they don’t, the bank will move forward in foreclosure proceedings. Always On.