Behind on your mortgage in Clark County? Here's where you are and who helps for free.
Nevada lets lenders foreclose outside of court, on a schedule the law sets. You have more time and more options than it may feel like tonight, and free help is a phone call away.
- How it works in Nevada
- Trustee sale, outside of court
- Notice of default to sale
- At least 3 months
- Ask for mediation
- Within 30 days of the notice
- Free counselor line
- (800) 569-4287
Updated November 7, 2026. A plain-language summary, not legal advice. Illustrative photo, not a listed home.
Here's where you are, and what comes next
Pick the step you're at in Nevada's process. Each one tells you what happens next and what to do now.
What happens now
Your loan is behind, but foreclosure has not started. Nevada requires the servicer to mail you a notice at least 30 days before a notice of default is recorded, showing what it takes to catch up. Some small lenders are exempt.
Time you likely have
120+ days
Federal rules say a servicer can't make the first notice or filing for foreclosure until you are more than 120 days behind.
Your best moves now
- Call your servicer and ask what options you qualify for. The number is on your monthly bill.
- Call a free HUD-approved counselor. They can help you apply.
- Send a complete application early. While it's being reviewed, Nevada law limits what the servicer can record.
Sources: CFPB: How to avoid foreclosure, NRS 107.500, 107.460, 107.530.
Free help for Clark County homeowners
Start here before you talk to anyone selling something. These people help at no cost.
Find a HUD-approved counselor by ZIP code
(800) 569-4287HOPE Hotline, open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
(888) 995-4673Sources: CFPB: How to avoid foreclosure, CFPB: HUD-approved housing counselors.
Housing counselors
HUD-approved agencies on HUD's list that offer mortgage default counseling in the Las Vegas valley. Their foreclosure help is free.
Neighborhood Housing Services of Southern Nevada
North Las Vegas. English and Spanish.
Community Services of Nevada
Las Vegas. English and Spanish.
Chicanos Por La Causa
Las Vegas. English and Spanish.
Sources: CFPB Find a Counselor (HUD's list), CFPB: HUD-approved housing counselors.
Legal aid
Free legal help with foreclosure and mediation for eligible homeowners.
Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada
725 E. Charleston Blvd., Las Vegas. Walk-in intake Monday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Bring your paperwork, ID and proof of income.
Source: Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada.
Foreclosure mediation
If the home is your primary residence, you can ask for a sit-down with your lender and a neutral mediator. In Clark County the Eighth Judicial District Court runs the program.
Eighth Judicial District Court, ADR Office
Rules and sample forms are free on the court's website.
Sources: Eighth Judicial District Court: Foreclosure mediation, NRS 107.086.
Do you have equity? Check in 30 seconds.
Equity is what your home is worth minus what you owe on it. It's the biggest clue to which options fit. Nothing you type here is sent anywhere.
Not sure what your home is worth in Clark County? Use a recent online estimate, or ask an agent what similar homes nearby sold for.
Enter both numbers to see your estimate.
An estimate, not an appraisal. Back payments, fees and selling costs come out of any sale, so you'd walk away with less than this.
Source: CFPB: Options to avoid foreclosure.
Six ways forward
Your servicer decides which ones you qualify for. A free counselor can help you ask for the right one.
Keep your home
If you can afford the home going forward.
Catch up (reinstatement)Pay everything that's past due, plus the fees and costs, and the loan goes back to normal.
Who it fits: The hardship is behind you and you can pay the full past-due amount at once. Ask your servicer for the exact amount in writing first.
Repayment planRepay the missed payments a little at a time by adding part of the past-due amount to your regular payment for a set period.
Who it fits: You're back on your feet and can pay a bit extra each month.
Loan modificationThe servicer changes the terms of your loan. Some or all of the missed payments are added to what you owe, and your payment could be lower, though it could take longer to pay off.
Who it fits: Your income changed for good and the old payment won't work again. You may have to make trial payments first.
Leave on your terms
If keeping the home no longer works.
Sell and keep your equitySell the home yourself or with an agent, pay off the mortgage and selling costs, and keep what's left. You don't need your servicer's approval, but it helps to tell them.
Who it fits: Your home is worth more than you owe. Selling is typically better for your money and your credit than a foreclosure, a short sale or a deed in lieu.
Short saleSell for less than you owe with your servicer's approval, and ask them to forgive the difference. Any other mortgages on the home need to approve too.
Who it fits: You owe more than the home is worth. Make sure you understand the terms, including any tax effects.
Deed in lieuTurn ownership over to your servicer and move out, without having to sell. It could mean you don't owe what's left on the mortgage after you leave.
Who it fits: You're ready to move on and a sale isn't working. You need to apply and be approved.
If your loan is FHA-insured, you may be able to get relocation money with a short sale or a deed in lieu if you meet certain conditions.
Sources: CFPB: Options to avoid foreclosure, HUD: FHA loss mitigation, NRS 107.0805, Utah Courts: Foreclosure.
If anyone asks for money to save your home, stop
Help from your servicer or a HUD-approved counselor costs nothing. These are the signs of a foreclosure scam.
They want money up front.
A company can't charge you for mortgage relief until you've accepted a written offer from your lender.
They promise you'll keep your home.
Or that they'll get your loan terms changed. Real counselors can't promise that.
They ask you to sign over your deed.
Or to sign papers you don't understand. Never hand over title to get help.
They say to stop talking to your lender.
It's illegal for a mortgage relief company to tell you that.
They want your payment sent to them.
Your payment goes to your mortgage company or servicer, no one else.
They push you to sign today.
High pressure is a warning sign. Read it, keep a copy and show it to a counselor.
They offer a forensic audit.
Charging you to review your loan papers is a warning sign.
They hint they're with the government.
Or use a seal that looks official but isn't quite right.
Sources: CFPB: How to avoid foreclosure, FTC: Mortgage Assistance Relief Services Rule, Utah Courts: Foreclosure, Nevada B&I: Mortgage and foreclosure fraud.
If someone took money or pressured you, report it.
Nevada Attorney General, Bureau of Consumer Protection
Foreclosure rescue scams
(702) 486-3794Nevada Division of Mortgage Lending
Complaints about loan modification companies
(702) 486-0782Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Complaints about your servicer or a scam
Submit a complaint
Sources: Nevada B&I: Mortgage and foreclosure fraud, CFPB: Submit a complaint.
Thinking about selling? Talk to a local agent who handles these sales.
Joe Iuliucci · Broker, Keller Williams Realty · The Iuliucci Team, Las Vegas
Free counselors come first. If selling turns out to be right for you, ask through us and we'll introduce you by email.
Real Estate Intel recommends people we work with. You're free to use any agent.
Questions homeowners ask
How long does foreclosure take in Nevada?
The law sets minimums, not a fixed schedule. A servicer generally can't start until you're more than 120 days behind. After the notice of default is recorded, at least 3 months must pass before the trustee can move to sell, and the notice of sale is posted for 20 days and published once a week for 3 weeks before the auction.
Can I stop the sale by catching up?
If you live in the home, Nevada law gives you until 5 days before the sale date to make good the missed payments and costs. Ask your servicer for the exact amount in writing.
What is foreclosure mediation and who can use it?
It's a meeting with your lender and a neutral mediator to try to reach an agreement, such as a loan modification. It's for homes that are the owner's primary residence. You petition the district court within 30 days after the notice of default is served and pay a $25 filing fee plus your share of the mediator's fee. In Clark County the Eighth Judicial District Court's ADR Office runs it: (702) 671-4493.
Do I have to pay anyone for help?
No. HUD-approved housing counseling agencies help with foreclosure for free. A company can't legally charge you for mortgage relief until you've accepted a written offer from your lender.
Can I sell my home if I'm behind?
Yes. You don't need your servicer's approval to sell, though it helps to tell them. If your home is worth more than you owe, selling is typically better for your money and credit than a foreclosure, a short sale or a deed in lieu.
What happens after the trustee sale?
The sale is final and there's no right to buy the home back. The new owner can serve a 3-day written notice to leave. If you stay, they must go through the court eviction process. Call legal aid right away.
Not sure what to do next? Ask us.
Tell us where you are. We'll reply by email with the free counselor and legal aid contacts for your county and point you to the next step.
- Help from HUD-approved housing counselors is free.
- We're a real estate newsletter, not lawyers or counselors. This isn't legal advice.
- We only use your details to answer you. This doesn't sign you up for our newsletter.
Want to talk to someone now? Call a free counselor at (800) 569-4287.