{"id":17074,"date":"2024-10-29T04:10:02","date_gmt":"2024-10-29T11:10:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/?p=17074"},"modified":"2025-03-28T10:08:44","modified_gmt":"2025-03-28T17:08:44","slug":"how-to-sell-a-house-underwater","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.homelight.com\/blog\/how-to-sell-a-house-underwater\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Sell a House That\u2019s Underwater: Navigating Your Options"},"content":{"rendered":"

Disclaimer: This article is meant for educational purposes only and is not intended to be construed as financial, tax, or legal advice. HomeLight always encourages you to reach out to an advisor regarding your own situation.<\/em><\/p>\n

A sudden job loss or market dip can flip your entire world upside-down, threatening your ability to stay on top of your mortgage. When you\u2019re behind on your payments<\/a>, you need to proactively decide how to deal with your debt, or your lender will decide for you\u00a0by selling your house in foreclosure<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople need to understand that they should call first and ask for help instead of beg for forgiveness later,\u201d shares top real estate agent Billy Alt<\/a>, who sells 65% more single-family homes than the average Las Vegas agent.<\/p>\n

The sooner you reach out for help, the better your odds for financial recovery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\n \"homelight\n <\/div>\n \n

What's Your Home Worth?<\/h3>\n

Request an instant home value estimate to for a ballpark estimation of how much equity you have before selling a house with a mortgage.<\/p>\n \n

\n Get Estimate<\/a>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

In this extensive guide, we\u2019ll outline your options for taking control of a home that\u2019s worth less than you owe, including how to sell your home if it\u2019s underwater:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Stay in your house to build equity<\/a> with a loan modification or forbearance.<\/li>\n
  2. Refinance with Fannie Mae\u2019s High Loan-To-Value<\/a> Refinance Option (HIRO)<\/li>\n
  3. Sell your home and cover the difference with cash.<\/li>\n
  4. Arrange a short sale<\/a> with your lender.<\/li>\n
  5. Walk away voluntarily with a deed-in-lieu of foreclosure<\/a>.<\/li>\n
  6. Face foreclosure as a last resort.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    When you\u2019re behind on your mortgage, catching up can feel impossible. This guide will teach how to sell a house that’s underwater.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":111,"featured_media":45888,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"cybocfi_hide_featured_image":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[343,322],"tags":[712],"class_list":["post-17074","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-finances","category-logistics","tag-seller-covid"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Sell a House That\u2019s Underwater: Navigating Your Options<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"When you\u2019re behind on your mortgage, catching up can feel impossible. 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