Please read this first. Educational site only. Not a law firm, not a HUD counselor, not a brokerage. This page is not legal advice. If you already signed a deed, call legal aid the same day.
Updated September 2026. Educational only — not legal advice.
Texas foreclosure is fast. That speed is what scams sell against. The pitch is always some version of “we will stop the sale if you pay us / sign this week.” HUD-approved counseling is free. This site does not take money, deeds, or cases.
Patterns that show up in Houston mail and Facebook ads
- Large fee up front to “negotiate with the bank” or “guarantee a modification.” The FTC Mortgage Assistance Relief Services rule generally bans collecting that fee before you have a written offer from your lender that you accept.
- Sign the deed this week and rent the house back. You lose title. The loan may still be in your name. If they do not pay, you get the foreclosure anyway.
- “HUD program” or “government list” that a private company will access for a price. Real HUD counselors are on HUD’s locator. They do not need you to wire money tonight.
- Stop paying the bank; pay us instead. That usually speeds the Texas notices.
- Do not talk to your servicer or a counselor. That is a warning sign, not a strategy.
- We will take the house subject-to and save you. A purchase where the loan stays in your name is not HUD help. It is a deal with the person who wants the deed. This help site does not offer that.
What legitimate help looks like
- HUD-approved housing counseling — no big upfront rescue fee. Who to call: Avenue CDC, Tejano Center, Fifth Ward CRC, HOPE 1-888-995-HOPE, locator 1-800-569-4287.
- Your servicer’s loss-mitigation department, using their official packet.
- Legal aid or a Texas attorney if you were served or the sale is days away.
- A licensed real estate broker, after you have decided you must sell, using written agency disclosure — not a stranger with a deed in the driveway.
If you already signed
Call Lone Star Legal Aid (1-800-733-8394) or Houston Volunteer Lawyers. Bring every page you signed. Do not sign a second deed “to fix” the first one without a lawyer. Report to the FTC (ReportFraud.ftc.gov) and the Texas Attorney General.
This website
Houston Foreclosure Help does not buy houses, list property, or negotiate with lenders. If you want a commercial conversation, that is not this site. For information only, keep reading the guides and call the counselors.
Frequently asked questions
Someone from “the county” called and wants a processing fee.
The clerk and HUD do not collect rescue fees by phone. Hang up. Call the number on your mortgage statement or a HUD counselor back on a published number.
They said they are not a rescue company; they are “investors who help.”
If the ask is a deed or a fee to stop a sale, treat it as a transaction, not counseling. You can refuse. Call HUD first.
Related: How to avoid foreclosure · Short sale vs. foreclosure · Who to call