You still have options.
Most of them have a deadline.
Missing payments does not mean losing everything. In Michigan the process moves in defined stages, and the earlier you act inside those stages, the more choices you keep. Here is exactly where you stand and what can still be done.
Free, confidential, and no pressure.
If you have a Sheriff's Sale date, read this first
A scheduled sale date does not end your options, and neither does a sale that already happened. Michigan gives most homeowners a redemption period afterward. What matters is how many days are left.
Six paths, laid out honestly
Every one of these works for someone and is wrong for someone else. Which fits depends on your equity, your income, and how much time is left. Typical timelines only. Your lender, your loan type, and your county all move these.
Reinstatement
Loan modification
Forbearance or repayment plan
Traditional sale
Short sale
Cash sale or deed in lieu
| Option | Best when | Typical timeline | Keeps the home |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reinstatement | Hardship is over and you can raise the arrears | Days to weeks | Yes |
| Loan modification | Income is steady but the payment is too high | 30 to 120 days | Yes |
| Forbearance or repayment plan | You need short term breathing room | Weeks | Yes |
| Traditional sale | There is meaningful equity to protect | 30 to 90 days | No |
| Short sale | You owe more than the home is worth | 60 to 120 days | No |
| Cash sale or deed in lieu | Time is nearly gone or repairs are out of reach | 1 to 3 weeks for a cash sale, 30 to 90 days for a deed in lieu | No |
Swipe the table sideways to see every column.
Questions homeowners ask about their options
The details that decide the outcome
Read the piece that matches your situation. Each page is written to be useful on its own.
A Reality Real Estate Brokerage tool
Save or Sell My Home
Not sure whether to save your home or sell it? Our free Save or Sell tool walks you through your numbers and your timeline, privately, in about two minutes.
Real situations, handled quietly
Written client reviews are being collected with permission. In the meantime, here is the kind of work Dave does, described plainly.
Helped a family sell during the redemption period and keep the equity that was left, instead of losing it at the sale.
Guided a Personal Representative through pricing, cleanout, and sale of an inherited home while the estate stayed on schedule.
Reviewed a homeowner's real budget, then worked with the servicer on a plan that let them stay in the home.
Walked an owner through repair estimates and both retail and cash numbers so the decision was based on figures, not pressure.
The whole process, written down
Everything on this page and the parts that did not fit, in a guide you can read at your own pace and hand to whoever is helping you decide. No email address, no form, and nothing to sign.
Send a short note and we will call you back
You do not need documents ready. A few sentences about your situation is enough to start.
- Free and confidential, with no obligation to list or sell.
- We will tell you the deadlines we see, including the ones your servicer has not mentioned.
- If an attorney or a nonprofit counselor is the better first call, we will say so.
Facing a sale date this month?
Reality Real Estate Brokerage is a licensed Michigan real estate brokerage. We are not attorneys, accountants, or tax advisors, and nothing on this site is legal, tax, or financial advice. Information here is based on our experience and is intended for general guidance. Please consult the appropriate licensed professional for your situation.
The sooner we talk, the more options remain.
A twenty minute conversation can change the outcome. There is no cost and no pressure to sell.
Free, confidential, and no pressure.