How much time do we have to sell our house before we lose it to foreclosure?

Under federal laws that protect homeowners in foreclosure, in most cases, you must be over 120 days delinquent before the loan servicer can even initiate a foreclosure.

Once foreclosure starts, there's no automatic deadline to sell the property. However, you'll have to complete the process before the foreclosure sale.

Foreclosure Sale: How Long Do You Have?

The amount of time the home is in preforeclosure before the foreclosure is complete depends on whether the process is judicial or nonjudicial and varies among the different U.S. states.

The longer the process, the more time you have to sell the property.

Consider Applying for a Loan Modification or Other Mortgage Relief

Because you say that your mortgage payments are more than you can afford, you might consider applying for a loan modification, which could make your monthly payments more affordable. If you want to apply for a modification, call your servicer and ask for a "loss mitigation" application.

Also, your state might have a specific program that gives money to qualified homeowners so they can avoid foreclosure during a financial hardship.

Think About Completing a Short Sale

If you decide you still want to sell and can't sell your house for the total amount owed, your lender might agree to accept less in a "short sale." You'll most likely need to submit a loss mitigation application to your servicer to get approval for a short sale, much like with a modification request.

Talk to a Foreclosure Lawyer

For more information about how foreclosure works in your state and how long the process will take—or if you want to learn about possible defenses to a foreclosure, which could delay the process and give you more time to sell—consider talking to an attorney.

To learn more about alternatives to foreclosure, like a modification or short sale, consider talking to a HUD-approved housing counselor.