Housing counseling.
MSHDA connects homeowners with counselors who can explain available options, help with communication, and identify potential scams.
MSHDA foreclosure help & counselor locatorHome / Foreclosure consultationsA hard season.
SUPPORT FOR MICHIGAN HOMEOWNERS
A hard season.
A place to start.
Support for Grand Rapids and West Michigan homeowners. You deserve clear information, real options, and a conversation without judgment.
Find housing & legal resourcesTalk with me about selling options
Valynn Trent · REALTOR®
People first. Always.
START WITH SUPPORT
Before a decision,
understand your options.
If staying in your home is your goal, contact your mortgage servicer and a HUD-certified housing counselor early. You can use every resource here without submitting your information to me.
Legal guidance.
A notice, scheduled sheriff’s sale, or completed sale deserves prompt legal attention. Get advice specific to your property and deadlines.
Michigan Legal Help · foreclosure & evictionMortgage foreclosure.
Review Michigan’s overview and timeline with a qualified professional. Your notices and circumstances determine the deadlines that apply.
MSHDA foreclosure stagesMortgage foreclosure timeline · PDFProperty-tax foreclosure.
Unpaid property taxes follow a separate process. Contact your county treasurer promptly about the amount due, deadlines, and available assistance.
Property-tax foreclosure timeline · PDFMichigan Treasury · tax foreclosure processHave a sale date or legal notice?
Contact a qualified attorney and housing counselor promptly. Submitting this form or listing your home does not pause foreclosure, extend a deadline, or guarantee continued occupancy.
MICHIGAN MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE TIMELINE
Know the stage.
Confirm the deadline.
Early action can create more options. These six stages describe a typical foreclosure by advertisement, with approximate timing measured from the first missed payment. Your loan, notices, and circumstances may change the process.
- 01
Approximately days 1–30
Missed payments.
A payment becomes late under your loan’s terms; late fees may apply. Contact your servicer and a housing counselor early.
- 02
Approximately days 30–90
Delinquency.
Expect outreach and notices. Ask about repayment, modification, or forbearance; missed payments can affect credit.
- 03
Approximately days 90–120
Pre-foreclosure notice.
A demand or default notice may arrive. Federal rules generally prevent the first foreclosure filing until you are more than 120 days delinquent, with exceptions. Ask promptly about assistance.
- 04
After required notices
Sheriff’s sale scheduled.
For foreclosure by advertisement, the sale notice runs for four consecutive weeks in a local newspaper and is posted on the property. The home is auctioned at the sheriff’s sale. Confirm the date and seek legal advice immediately.
- 05
Often six months after the sale
Redemption period.
Redemption generally requires paying the auction price plus applicable interest and fees. Some properties or circumstances have a different deadline. Confirm yours from the sale documents with an attorney. Continue maintaining the property; inspection and occupancy rules apply.
- 06
After redemption expires
Possession & eviction.
If the property is not redeemed, the purchaser may seek possession through court. Read notices and court papers promptly. An attorney can explain your rights; special circumstances can affect timing.
Educational overview, not a personal deadline calculation. Judicial foreclosure and property-tax foreclosure follow different procedures. MSHDA foreclosure stages · Official mortgage timeline · PDF · Michigan Legal Help.
YOUR EQUITY. YOUR NEXT CHAPTER.
There may be more
to move forward with.
Facing foreclosure does not automatically mean you’ve lost the ability to sell your home—or the money you’ve built up in it.
You may still have a path to sell.
Before a sheriff’s sale, you generally have the right to sell your home, provided the transaction can satisfy the required payoffs and close in time. After a sheriff’s sale, a sale may still be possible during redemption, but the redemption amount, title, and deadlines need to be confirmed with an attorney and title company.
What’s left after closing is yours.
In a completed sale of your home, the closing team accounts for the loans, liens, taxes, legal fees, foreclosure-related charges, and other required selling costs. Once those obligations are paid, your share of the remaining proceeds belongs to you.
That money can help with a rental deposit, moving expenses, or purchasing your next home—a starting point for the next chapter.
Every home tells a different story.
Some sellers leave closing with very little. I’ve also helped sellers use the equity from their home to purchase a different house entirely with cash.
The difference depends on what the home sells for, the total amount owed, and the costs of the sale. How long you’ve owned it, how much you’ve paid down, and changes in its value can all influence the equity available.
We’ll start with a realistic estimate of what could remain, then confirm the numbers with the closing team. My past clients’ results aren’t a promise of yours—but understanding your equity can help you plan with clearer information.
Let’s understand the numbers before you decide.
I can estimate your home’s market value and potential net proceeds. Verified payoff amounts, title requirements, and final closing figures determine what you actually receive. A short sale or a sale with insufficient proceeds needs additional review and may require lender approval.
WHEN KEEPING YOUR HOME MAY NO LONGER BE POSSIBLE
What I can do
for you.
Clear information. Fast action. No judgment.
If you’ve explored reasonable options to keep your home, selling may be a next step worth considering.
Acting before a scheduled sheriff’s sale may give you more control over the sale and your transition. You don’t need to commit to listing to ask questions.
I can help you.
- Estimate your home’s likely market value using comparable sales.
- Review potential proceeds after verified mortgage payoffs, liens, fees, and selling costs.
- Prepare and list your property promptly when time matters.
- Handle marketing, showings, inquiries, offers, and negotiations.
- Coordinate with your servicer, title company, and closing team on the real estate transaction.
- Help you connect with a qualified attorney or housing counselor and plan your next housing steps.
Why timing matters.
BEFORE THE SHERIFF’S SALE
A traditional sale may be simpler and give you more flexibility with timing, offers, and your move.
AFTER THE SHERIFF’S SALE
A sale may still be possible during redemption, but title, deadlines, and the purchaser’s rights can make it more complicated. An attorney and title company should confirm what is possible.
If a sale leaves proceeds after all required payoffs and costs, those remaining proceeds may be available to you. We’ll review estimates without promising an amount.
What I can promise: clear real estate guidance and an advocate in your corner.
Talk with me about selling optionsI cannot stop a foreclosure, repair credit, provide legal advice, or guarantee a closing or remaining equity. A short sale requires lender approval; ask legal and tax professionals about remaining debt and tax consequences.
LESS JARGON. MORE UNDERSTANDING.
The words you’re hearing,
in plain English.
- Mortgage servicer
- The company handling your mortgage payments. Contact it to ask about assistance options and the status of your loan.
- Loss mitigation
- Options your servicer may offer to address missed payments or avoid foreclosure. Eligibility and terms vary.
- Forbearance
- A temporary pause or reduction in payments under an agreement. It generally does not erase the unpaid amount.
- Loan modification
- An approved change to loan terms intended to make repayment manageable. Your servicer determines available options.
- Sheriff’s sale
- An auction in the mortgage foreclosure process. A sale date calls for prompt legal advice about your rights and options.
- Redemption period
- A limited period after certain mortgage foreclosure sales when redemption may be possible. Have an attorney confirm your deadline and requirements.
- Short sale
- A sale for less than the amount needed to pay the mortgage, requiring lender approval. Ask about remaining debt and tax implications.
- Property-tax foreclosure
- A separate process involving unpaid property taxes. Mortgage foreclosure timelines and protections do not automatically apply.
LET’S START WITH A CONVERSATION
Come as you are.
Let’s talk it through.
Share what you’re comfortable sharing and the best times to reach you. I’ll follow up about your real estate questions and possible selling options.
Prefer to call?
(616) 375-3934Real estate services only. I’m not an attorney, housing counselor, or mortgage servicer. No sale outcome, foreclosure delay, or deadline extension is promised.