Facing financial hardship? Forbearance can pause or reduce your mortgage payments for a set period. Learn how forbearance works for FHA, VA, USDA, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and conventional loans — and what happens when it ends.
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Mortgage forbearance is a temporary pause or reduction in your monthly mortgage payments, granted by your loan servicer during periods of financial hardship. It is not loan forgiveness — you will need to repay the missed amounts. However, forbearance can give you the breathing room you need to recover financially without the immediate threat of foreclosure.
Whether forbearance is available today — and on what terms — depends on your loan type, your investor or insurer, your servicer, the nature of your hardship, and current program availability. Eligibility and duration vary, and no particular outcome is guaranteed. The terms, duration, and repayment options depend on your loan documents and current servicing guidelines.
Contact your servicer and explain your hardship. Most servicers can approve forbearance over the phone. You may need to document your hardship.
Your payments are reduced or paused for 3-18 months depending on your loan type and circumstances. No late fees during forbearance.
When forbearance ends, work with your servicer on a repayment plan: lump sum, repayment plan, deferral, or loan modification.
Outside of the pandemic-era programs, forbearance is an option that may be offered by your servicer or investor on a case-by-case basis. The general points below apply in most situations, but the specifics always depend on your loan and your servicer.
The following information describes COVID-19-era programs that applied during the pandemic and may no longer be available in the same form. It is retained for reference only and should not be treated as the current default rules. Current availability of any program described below — including any government assistance programs such as the Homeowner Assistance Fund (HAF), whose availability varies by jurisdiction and funding status — should be verified directly with your servicer or the applicable agency.
FHA loans offer up to 12 months of forbearance for COVID-19 and other hardships. After forbearance, FHA offers several exit options:
Key Benefit: FHA's partial claim is interest-free and subordinate — you don't pay it until you sell, refinance, or pay off the loan.
VA loans offer up to 12 months of forbearance for COVID-19 and other approved hardships. The VA's COVID-19 Refund Modification and other programs provide generous exit paths:
Key Benefit: VA loans have some of the most borrower-friendly forbearance exit options available — veterans should always explore VA-specific programs first.
USDA loans offer up to 12 months of forbearance for COVID-19 and up to 12 months for other hardships. USDA exit options include:
Key Benefit: USDA's Mortgage Recovery Advance works similarly to FHA's Partial Claim — it's a 0% subordinate loan that doesn't increase your monthly payment.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac loans offer up to 18 months of forbearance for COVID-19 and up to 12 months for non-COVID hardships. GSE exit options:
Not sure if you have a Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac loan? Use the Fannie Mae Loan Lookup or Freddie Mac Loan Lookup tools.
When your forbearance period ends, several options may be available to address the missed payments. Your servicer generally must evaluate you for available options before requiring a lump sum payment. This page focuses on how forbearance works; for a deeper look at each exit path, see the guide to what happens when forbearance ends.
| Exit Option | How It Works | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Lump Sum Reinstatement | Pay all missed payments at once | Borrowers with accessible savings or alternative funding |
| Repayment Plan | Spread missed payments over 3-12 months added to regular payment | Borrowers who can afford more than current payment but not lump sum |
| Payment Deferral | Move missed payments to end of loan; resume regular payment immediately | Borrowers who can resume full current payment but can't pay extra |
| Partial Claim (FHA) | HUD pays missed payments as 0% interest subordinate loan | FHA borrowers who can resume current payment |
| Loan Modification | Restructure loan terms to reduce payment permanently | Borrowers with long-term hardship who can't afford current payment |
| Short Sale / Deed-in-Lieu | Sell home or transfer deed; exit mortgage with potential deficiency waiver | Borrowers who can no longer afford the home long-term |
The biggest mistake homeowners make is waiting until the last day of forbearance to figure out repayment. Contact us now and we'll help you evaluate your options, negotiate with your servicer, and lock in the best exit strategy before time runs out.
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Every day you wait is a day less to plan your exit. Our certified specialists will evaluate your situation, identify your best repayment option, and negotiate with your servicer before your forbearance period ends.