Where you are in the process
Foreclosure in Pennsylvania is a court case, and each stage has its own deadline and its own options. Find the stage that matches the last letter you received.
- Behind on payments, no lawsuit yet. This is the stretch people call pre-foreclosure. Federal rules generally bar the first filing until the loan is “more than 120 days delinquent.” If you send your servicer a complete application for help before that first filing, it generally cannot file until it has decided the application and any appeal, or you turn down what it offers (12 CFR 1024.41).
- You received an Act 91 notice. The notice gives you “thirty (30) days, plus three (3) days for mailing, to have a face-to-face meeting with a consumer credit counseling agency” (Act 91). The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency says that to apply for its HEMAP loan and put the foreclosure on hold, you must meet with a counseling agency “within 33 days from the date of your Act 91 Notice” (PHFA).
- You were served with a foreclosure complaint. You have 20 days to respond (Pa.R.C.P. 1018.1). In Allegheny County, the complaint arrives with an “Urgent Notice” about the court’s conciliation program. Our guide to the foreclosure process in Pennsylvania walks through each step of the case.
- A sheriff sale date is set. The sale must be noticed at least 30 days ahead (Pa.R.C.P. 3129.2). See sheriff sales in Pittsburgh for how the sale works and how long foreclosure takes for when it becomes too late.
- The house was sold at the sheriff sale. You can generally stay until the sheriff gives the buyer a deed (Allegheny County Sheriff), but the former owner generally cannot buy the house back.
Ways to keep the house
Each of these has a deadline, and the earlier you start, the more of them stay open. Our guide on how to stop foreclosure in Pennsylvania covers each one in detail.
- Catch up on the loan. For loans covered by Act 6, you can cure the default by paying what is past due, plus fees and costs, “at any time at least one hour prior to the commencement of bidding at a sheriff sale,” no more than three times a year (41 P.S. § 404). Act 6 covers home loans on one- and two-unit homes up to a base figure set each year: $329,411 in 2026 (Department of Banking and Securities).
- Ask your servicer for help. A loan modification, a repayment plan, or a forbearance all start with a complete loss mitigation application. One received “more than 37 days before a foreclosure sale” must be decided before the servicer can move for judgment or hold the sale (12 CFR 1024.41).
- Apply for HEMAP. The Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency’s Homeowner’s Emergency Mortgage Assistance Program “is a loan program to prevent foreclosure. It is not a grant.” It can help with up to $60,000, and FHA-insured loans are not eligible (PHFA).
- Use conciliation. For owner-occupied homes with four or fewer units, Allegheny County’s Save Your Home program schedules a conference with your lender and “places a hold on the foreclosure proceedings” (Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas). Call 1-866-298-8020.
- Chapter 13 bankruptcy. A bankruptcy filing “operates as a stay” that halts the sale (11 U.S.C. § 362), and in Chapter 13 a homeowner can cure the default until the home “is sold at a foreclosure sale” (11 U.S.C. § 1322). Talk with a bankruptcy attorney first.
Ways to leave on your own terms
If keeping the house is not realistic, these let you decide how and when you leave, instead of the sheriff sale deciding for you.
- Sell before the sale. Until the sheriff sale, you still own the house. The Federal Trade Commission notes that “selling your home may get you the money you need to pay off your whole mortgage” (FTC). A sale that pays off the loan ends the foreclosure, and if the house is worth more than you owe, the difference is yours. See selling a house in foreclosure.
- A short sale. If you owe more than the house is worth, your lender may agree to let you sell it for less than the payoff. See short sales in Pennsylvania and short sale vs foreclosure.
- A deed in lieu of foreclosure. Some lenders will accept the deed to the house instead of finishing the foreclosure. See deed in lieu of foreclosure.
If you are thinking about selling to us
We buy houses as-is in Pittsburgh and the counties around it, and a foreclosure does not stop us from making an offer. Tell us the address and any sale date when you reach out. We can tell you quickly whether we can close before that date, and if we can, a local title company handles the closing, pays off your lender from the sale, and shows you every number.
Our offer is usually below full market value, because we buy as-is and take on the repairs and the resale. If you have time and the house would sell for more on the open market, or if one of the ways to keep the house fits you better, we would rather tell you that than buy a house you wanted to keep.
Free help in Allegheny County
- Save Your Home Hotline (the court’s conciliation program): 1-866-298-8020.
- Allegheny County Sheriff’s Mortgage Foreclosure Hotline: 412-350-4704, weekdays 9 to 11 am and 1 to 3 pm (Allegheny County Sheriff).
- HUD-approved housing counselors: search the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s counselor list.
- HEMAP at the Pennsylvania Housing Finance Agency: 1-800-342-2397.
- Neighborhood Legal Services, free civil legal aid for eligible residents of Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, and Lawrence counties: request help or call 1-866-761-6572.
- Allegheny County Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service: 412-261-5555, at getapittsburghlawyer.com.
Watch for foreclosure rescue scams
People facing foreclosure get letters, calls, and door knocks from companies promising to save the house. The Federal Trade Commission warns that a company charging an upfront fee for mortgage relief is breaking the law, and that you should never sign your deed over to anyone who promises to save your home: “If you transfer the deed, you’re not likely to get it back” (FTC).
A legitimate sale has a written agreement of sale, a title company or attorney handling the closing, and a settlement statement that shows the payoff to your lender and what you receive. Take the time you need to read it, and have a housing counselor or attorney look at anything you are unsure about.